NHL Signings & Free Agents

Lemieux was traded to the Rangers last season and finished the season with six points (3G / 3A) in 19 games with New York. Adding Kaapo Kakko, Artemi Panarin and potentially Vitali Kravtsov upfront this offseason is going to make it very difficult for Lemieux to crack the opening night lineup in 2020.

Pettersson was traded to the Penguins early in 2019 and he finished with 19 points (2G / 17A) in 57 games with his new team. He won’t play enough meaningful minutes to be fantasy relevant in 2020. However, Kris Letang and Justin Schultz both have durability concerns, so there is a scenario where Pettersson sees PP1 time, it just wouldn’t be a great scenario for the Penguins.

Morrissey set a new career-high in points (31) despite playing in just 59 games in 2019. With Jacob Trouba now in New York, Morrissey is expected to handle the PP2 duties in 2020, which gives him a potential boost in value. He should be viewed as a reserve fantasy defenseman heading into drafts.

Stone was bought out by the Flames earlier in the summer but signs back on for a discount after Jusso Valimaki suffered a torn ACL. Stone had just five assists in 14 games with Calgary last season and figures to be their 6/7th defenseman in 2020.

Fiala struggled after being traded to the Wild last season, scoring just three goals with four assists (seven points) in 19 games. Heading into his first training camp with Minnesota, Fiala has a chance to start the season on the top-line with Eric Staal and Jason Zucker, putting him back on the map for a fantasy hockey breakout. He has great shot volume and that will only get better with first line minutes.

Zacha set a new career-high in goals (13) while matching his career-high in points (25) while playing just 61 games last season. Zacha is a player that the Devils use in all situations. He was third among New Jersey forwards in SH TOI/gm (2:11), ninth in PP TOI/gm (1:41) and 11th in EV TOI/gm (12:13).

Werenski has been excellent since breaking into the NHL in 2017, scoring double-digit goals in all three seasons and 40-plus points in two out of three. Overall, he is 11th among defensemen in goals (27) and 24th in points (81) over that span.

Campbell spent most of last season with the Kings as Jonathan Quick’s backup, going 10-14-1 with a 2.30 GAA and .928 SV%. Campbell was excellent in 2019 and showcased that he is capable of being a full-time NHLer after looking like a first-round bust early in his career.

Comrie spent the entire 2019 season with the Manitoba Moose (AHL), going 25-20-2 with a 2.69 GAA and .917 SV% in 47 games. Comrie has appeared in five career NHL games since 2017 but will open 2020 in Manitoba yet again.

Perlini was traded to the Blackhawks last season and recorded 12 goals with three assists (15 points) in 46 games after the deal. Perlini’s playing time dropped precipitously in Chicago, which will cap his upside in 2020.

Gardiner had to sit and wait a long time as a free agent but finally got signed on Friday. Gardiner spent eight seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs but is coming off of a disappointing 30 points (3G / 27A) in 62 games in 2019. Now the 29-year-old joins Carolina, who already has a loaded blueline, but he could slot onto the second-pair with Brett Pesce and play on the second power-play unit with either Justin Faulk or Dougie Hamilton.

Thornton is back for his 22nd NHL season at the age of 40-years-old. It will be his 15th season with the Sharks and he is coming off of a solid 51-point (16G / 35A) campaign in 2019. He has very minimal upside as the Sharks No.3 centre and should be left on the fantasy hockey waiver wire to start the season.

Sheahan played in Pittsburgh and Florida last season, totalling just 19 points (9G / 10A) in 82 games. He was once a first-round pick of Ken Holland’s in Detroit and the familiarity with the 27-year-old led to him signing in Edmonton. He never developed like the Red Wings had hoped, posting a career-high of just 36 points, so look for him to settle in as the Oilers No.4 centre in 2020.

Schuldt joined the Golden Knights for one game last season after finishing his senior year at St. Cloud State with 10 goals and 25 assists in 39 games. Schuldt has NHL aspirations in 2020 and he seems to be the frontrunner to start the season as Vegas’ No.6 defenseman.

Goldobin missed 19 games last season but totalled 27 points (7G / 20A) in his first fill NHL season. The 23-year-old has had a difficult time getting the Canucks coaching staff to trust him full-time in the top-6 and that will be even more difficult after the additions of Micheal Ferland and J.T. Miller this offseason. Still, Goldobin has 15-goal, 25-assist potential if he plays a full season. However, he looks like the Canucks 13th forward as we approach training camp.

McKeown, 23, had four goals and 21 assists in 70 games with Charlotte (AHL) last season. With a loaded depth chart in Carolina and Jake Bean ahead of him on the call-up list, McKeown will need a few injuries ahead of him if he is going to sniff the NHL in 2020.

Kempe gets a three-year deal nine days before training camp after registering 28 points (12G / 16A) in 81 games last season. Despite seeing an uptick in ice-time, Kempe’s numbers decreased in his second full season. Decreased shot volume was the main component to his drop in goals and a big dip in on-ice SH% affected his assist total. Expect him to centre the Kings second line in 2020, which makes him a candidate to return to 15 goals and 20-plus assists.

Keller was set to become a restricted free agent after this 2020 season but the Coyotes locked him up early. Keller had a tremendous rookie season but took a step backward in 2019 but his shooting percentage and on-ice SH% should see some positive regression in 2020. Keller’s new contract makes him the highest-paid forward on the Coyotes, surpassing Phil Kessel’s $6.8 AAV.

Belpedio had six goals and 15 assists (21 points) in 70 games with the Iowa Wild (AHL) last year. The 2014 third-round pick appeared in two games with Minnesota but is set to start 2020 in the AHL for the second straight season.

Barbashev had 14 goals and 12 assists (26 points) in 80 games in 2019. The 23-year-old also chipped in during the postseason, picking up six points (3G / 3A) in 25 games en route to winning the Stanley Cup. Barbashev is back but is buried on the depth chart behind Brayden Schenn, Ryan O’Reilly, and Tyler Bozak.