After a 15-year Hall of Fame career in New York, Lundqvist signs a one-year contract with Washington to split time with 23-year-old Ilya Samsonov. Since posting a .920 SV% in 2016, Lundqvist has gone 85-81-24 with a 2.96 GAA and .910 SV%. For Lundqvist to have better numbers in 2021, the Capitals will need to be better defensively than they were under Todd Reirden.
Verhaeghe scored nine goals with four assists (13 points) in 52 games in his rookie season in the NHL in 2020. The 25-year-old is a former third-round pick (2015) and led the AHL in goals (34) and points (82) in 2018-19. He's shown offensive ability at lower-levels in the past, now it's a matter of getting opportunity in Florida to showcase he can do it at the NHL-level.
Merrill went to the University of Michigan and will enjoy a homecoming of sorts after signing with the Red Wings. Merrill does not provide a lot in terms of offence, with a career-high of just 15 points, but he is a rock-steady defensive-defensemen. With a number of prospects on the cusp of being NHL-ready, signing Merrill to a one-year deal allows them some extra time to develop.
Gudas is a big, (6-foot, 204 lbs) rugged defenseman that picked up 13 points (2G / 13A) with 164 hits and 75 blocked shots in 63 games in 2020. After a brief one-year stop in Washington, Gudas heads to Florida, where he'll likely be a third-pairing defenseman.
Motte has become an integral part of the Canucks' fourth-line, posting eight points (4G / 4A) in 34 games while also ranking second among Canucks' forwards in hits and fourth in PK ATOI (2:00).
Schenn served as a No.7 defenseman in Tampa Bay for most of the year but appeared in 25 regular season and 11 postseason games to get his name on the Stanley Cup. With both Jan Rutta and Kevin Shattenkirk likely moving on, there's a chance that Schenn could be a third-pairing defenseman in 2021.
Maroon has won back-to-back Stanley Cups and returns to the Lightning on a two-year extension. In his first season, he had 23 points (9G / 14A) in 64 regular season games and added six points (1G / 5A) in 25 playoff games. Maroon is a perfect fit for the Lightning's fourth line.
Ryan was bought out after a tough season in Ottawa, scoring just five goals with three assists (eight points) in just 24 games. The Red Wings were looking to add a right-shot forward and Ryan at one-year, $1.0M is a low-risk investment and gives Ryan a chance to play in the top-6 and prove he's still got some game left. Ryan could be a player the Red Wings look to flip at the deadline as well.
The Maple Leafs made it know that they wanted to get tougher to play against heading into 2021 and Simmonds brings some goal-scoring and toughness to the lineup. He's not the 30-goal scorer he used to be and will be a bottom-6 forward in Toronto but has averaged 14 goals, 17 assists (31 points) and 157 hits per 82 games over the last two seasons.
With Corey Crawford hitting free agency, the Blackhawks will go with a stable of young goalies left by Subban in 2021. He did not start a game with Chicago last season but is 30-23-7 with a 2.97 GAA and .899 SV% in 66 career starts with the Bruins and Golden Knights.
After coming over from Switzerland, Kubalik made an immediate impact, scoring 30 goals with 16 assists (46 points) in 68 games for the Blackhawks. He had a strong postseason run as well, posting eight points (4G / 4A) in nine games. With his ELC expiring, Kubalik signs a two-year deal with a $3.7M AAV cap-hit--a terrific deal for Chicago.
Mete has been a staple on the Habs' blueline over the last two seasons but following the addition of Joel Edmundson and promotion of Alexander Romanov, Mete will likely be the No.7 defenseman in Montreal in 2021. He has compiled four goals and 27 assists (31 points) in 171 career NHL games.
Dahlstrom served as the Jets' No.7 defenseman in 2020, picking up just one assist in 15 games. Dahlstrom won't be a regular on a deep Vegas blueline but could serve as a No.7 defenseman with them as well.
Instead of overpaying a centre for four or five years in free agency, the Jets go back to a player they're familiar with via trade. Stastny was acquired at the trade deadline in 2018 and he had 28 points (10G / 18A) in 36 games between the regular season and playoffs combined. At 34-years-old, Stastny isn't the player he once was but he is a good short-term solution as the Jets' second line centre.
Duke has spent the first three years of his professional career with Chicago (AHL) and has just 31 points (15G / 16A) in 97 games with them over that span. Duke likely won't reach the NHL anytime soon.
Schuldt signed with the Golden Knights after four years at St. Cloud State and spent his first professional season with the Chicago Wolves (AHL), where he had six goals and 15 assists (21 points) in 52 games. Schuldt will likely start 2021 in the AHL but will be one of the first blueliners to get called-up by Vegas.
Girgensons scored 12 goals with seven assists (19 points) in 69 games in 2020. Girgensons is locked into a fourth-line role for the Sabres. He led all Buffalo forwards in hits (110) and PK TOI/GM (2:08) last season. Offensively, he hasn't topped 20 points since 2015.
Murray has one-year left with a $4.6M cap-hit and is a cheap, low-risk addition for the Devils. The Blue Jackets were dumping salary left and right and the oft-injured Murray was a logical choice. The 27-year-old was the No.2 overall pick in 2012 but has not played more than 60 games in the last four years. He's averaged 46.8 games played with 1.5 goals and 13.8 assists (15.3 points) over that stretch.
After acquiring Anderson from the Blue Jackets, GM Marc Bergevin inked the rugged winger through the 2027 season. The deal leaves the Canadiens with ≈$5.37M in cap space heading into free agency. Anderson, Shea Weber, Jeff Petry and Carey Price are the only four skaters in Montreal currently signed through the 2024 season.
Bartowski is a veteran defenseman that has been around for nearly a decade. He had a decent run in the NHL five years ago but has been an AHLer in recent years. In 2020, he had 18 points (2G / 16A) in 55 games with Iowa and will be on the shortlist to fill a spot in Minnesota if they get hit hard by injuries.
