NHL Signings & Free Agents

With Sergei Bobrovsky likely heading to Florida, Korpisalo becomes the No.1 netminder in Columbus with Elvis Merzilkins likely serving as his backup. Korpisalo will need to be better than he was in 2018-19, when he ranked 38th in the NHL in GAA (2.95) and tied for 48th in SV% (.897).

Quine has been a fantastic AHL player over the years and led the Stockton Heat with 52 points (19G / 33A) in 41 games this season. The 26-year-old also recorded three goals and two assists (five points) in 13 games with Calgary—he has 27 points (9G / 18A) in 97 career NHL games.

Carrick spent most of the 2018-19 season with San Diego (AHL), where he led the team in goals (32) and points (61) in 61 games. The 27-year-old played in six games with the Ducks, picking up just one assist—giving him three points (1G / 2A) in 25 career NHL games.

Somerby was a fifth-round pick of the Islanders in 2012 and just finished his second season with Cleveland (AHL). The 24-year-old led all Monsters defensemen with eight goals and added 12 assists to give him 20 points in 66 games last year. He will remain with Cleveland to start the 2019-20 season.

Marincin served as an extra defenseman for most of the 2018-19 season, playing just 24 NHL games and eight AHL games. The 27-year-old had one goal and four assists (five points) with the Maple Leafs and will likely serve as their No.7 defenseman in 2019-20.

Hutchinson started the 2018-19 season with the Panthers before being acquired by Toronto where he was 14-7-1 with a 2.70 GAA and .910 SV% in 23 games with the Marlies (AHL). He appeared in five games with the Maple Leafs, going 2-3-0 with a 2.64 GAA and .914 SV% and has a legitimate chance at being Frederik Andersen’s backup in 2019-20.

Kuhnhackl had four goals and five assists (nine points) while appearing in just 36 games with the Islanders last season. The 27-year-old also registered three assists in eight games during the Islanders brief postseason run. He returns on a one-year deal where he will likely play in the Islanders bottom-6.

Sgarbossa has bounced around the league in his career but has been a good AHL scorer along the way. The 26-year-old led Hershey in points (65) and was second in goals (30) during 2018-19 and will likely remain with the Bears to start 2020.

The Maple Leafs have found a seventh-round gem in Johnsson. The 24-year-old had 20 goals and 23 assists (43 points) in 73 games during his first full NHL season. Johnsson also added one goal and three assists in seven playoff games and should be locked into a top-6 role on a line with Auston Matthews in 2020.

During his first full season with the Maple Leafs, Kapanen registered 20 goals and 24 assists (44 points) in 78 games. The 22-year-old was quiet during the postseason but should be able to build off of strong start to his NHL career. However, Kapanen’s ceiling may be limited because he is destined to play third-line minutes on a deep Toronto roster.

Nedeljkovic, who is viewed as one of the best goaltending prospects in the NHL, is coming off of an outstanding 2018-19 AHL campaign. Nedeljkovic led the AHL in wins (34) and GAA (2.26) en route to being named the league’s best netminder. He wasn’t done there, Nedeljkovic went 10-4-0 with a 2.34 GAA and .916 SV% in the AHL playoffs to help guide Charlotte to a Calder Cup Championship. With Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney both likely leaving in free agency, Nedeljkovic could see a lot of games at the NHL next year.

Sikura was a prolific point producer during his time at Northeastern University but has not had the same success at the NHL-level yet. Last year he appeared in 46 AHL games and 33 NHL games. During his time in Rockford he had 17 goals and 18 assists (35 points) but registered just eight assists with the Blackhawks. The lack of wing depth in Chicago should allow Sikura to start the 2020 season in a middle-6 role with the opportunity to move up the lineup if he starts producing.

Quenneville, who was a restricted free agent, was acquired from the Devils last week for John Hayden. The 23-year-old winger split last year between the AHL and NHL. With Binghamton (AHL), he had 18 goals and 21 assists (39 points) in 37 games but scored just one goal in 19 games with New Jersey. Quenneville projects to start the 2020 season on the Blackhawks’ third or fourth line.

Gunnarsson had a difficult season with injuries in 2018-19, missing a total of 57 games with a combination of ailments. He finished the year with seven points (3G / 4A) in 25 games and added three points (1G / 2A) in 19 playoff games to help the Blues to a Stanley Cup—the first of his career.

Rodewald spent most of the 2018-19 season with Belleville (AHL), where he was first on the team in goals (23) and second in points (47) in 59 games. He also played in six NHL games but has yet to register a point in 10 career games with the Senators.

Fedun had four goals and seven assists (11 points) in 54 games with Dallas last year and also appeared in seven games on their playoff run. The 31-year-old defenseman will likely remain as the Stars’ No.6/7th blueline option in 2020.

Trotman, 28, splits 2018-19 season between the AHL and NHL. During his brief time with the Penguins, Trotman had one assist in 13 games. He scored one goal with four assists (five points) in 24 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he will likely start the 2019-20 campaign.

Czuczman spent all of last season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL), where he was second among defensemen with 21 points (4G / 17A) in 65 games. The 28-year-old has just 13 games of NHL experience and they all came in 2014 with the Islanders.

Philadelphia had their choice between three goalies, Elliott, Cam Talbot and Michal Neuvirth to be Carter Hart’s backup next season and it looks like Elliott will be the guy. The 34-year-old had a 2.96 GAA and .907 SV% last year but was limited by injuries to just 26 games.