NHL Signings & Free Agents

Carrier had two goals, seven assists, 48 SOG and 27 PIMs across 43 games played in 2022-23 with Nashville and has signed a one-year contract extension worth $2.5 million. The 26-year-old defenseman will be entering his sixth season in Nashville, having picking up six goals and 42 points across 144 career games.

Hathaway had 13 goals, nine assists, 88 SOG, 69 PIMs and a +5 plus/minus through 74 games played with both Boston and Washington in 2022-23 and has agreed to a two-year contract worth $4.75 million ($2.375M AAV) with Philadelphia. The 31-year-old right winger is set to join his fourth NHL team, bringing 58 goals and 122 points through 457 career games played.

Rafferty had nine goals, 42 assists, 42 PIMs and a +28 plus/minus through 72 games with Coachella Valley (AHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 AAV with Detroit. The 28-year-old undrafted defensemen has appeared in three career NHL games and has an assist and -2 plus/minus rating.

Villalta was a third-round pick of the Kings in 2017 and played for their AHL team for the last four seasons. In 2023, Villalta went 12-8-1 with a 2.65 GAA and .910 SV% in 22 games with Ontario (AHL). Villalta will likely start the 2023-24 season in the AHL, as he sits behind Karel Vejmelka, Connor Ingram and Ivan Prosvetov (RFA) on the depth chart.

Oettinger had 13 goals, 22 assists, 26 PIMs and a +4 plus/minus through 52 games with Hartford (AHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 with Detroit. The 25-year-old left-winger played scarcely across four seasons in New York picking up one assist and 10 SOG through 16 career NHL games played.

Schueneman had an assist, eight SOG and a +1 plus/minus through seven games with Montreal in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract with Colorado worth $775,000. The 27-year-old defenseman has picked up two goals, seven points, eight PIMs and and 38 SOG through 31 career games across the last two seasons with Montreal.

Holm was 18-11-4 with a .911 SV% and 2.67 GAA with the Manitoba Moose (AHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract with Colorado worth $775,000. The 24-year-old goaltender was Winnipeg's 2017 sixth-round pick (167th overall) and has yet to make his NHL debut since heading to North America from the SHL in 2021-22.

Wagner had 19 goals, 12 assists, 69 PIMs and a -5 plus/minus through 62 games with Providence (AHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000. The 32-year-old veteran right-winger has 63 points (37G/26A) through 360 career NHL games played after being a fifth-round pick (122nd overall) in 2010 to Anaheim.

Tufte failed to pick up a point across three games with Dallas in 2022-23 but had a SOG and was a -1 plus/minus and has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 with Colorado. The 25-year-old left-winger was a former first-round pick (25th overall) in 2016 and has one career goal in 13 games played across two NHL seasons. He should provide a solid depth piece for Colorado after posting 19 goals and 35 points in 63 games with Texas (AHL) in 2021-22 as well.

Ahcan had five goals, 31 assists, 24 PIMs and a +5 plus/minus through 68 games with Providence (AHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year, two-way deal worth $1,550,000 ($775,000 AAV) with Colorado. The 26-year-old undrafted defenseman did not play in the NHL last season but has a goal, 10 SOG, and a -6 plus/minus through nine career NHL games.

Richards spent most of the 2023 season in the AHL, picking up 10 goals and 29 assists (39 points) in 61 games for the Cleveland Monsters. He appeared in two NHL games with the Blue Jackets, posting one assist while averaging 10:48 TOI/gm. He'll likely start the 2023-24, in the AHL.

Dustin TokarskiTokaski spent most of the 2023 season in the AHL, going 12-16-7 with a 2.69 GAA and .910 SV% in 36 games. He spent some time with the Penguins, going 1-2-0 witha. 3.44 GAA and .897 SV%. He's been a reliable AHL option throughout his careeer and is serviceable (.902 career NHL SV%) at the NHL level if injuries hit teh Sabres crease.

Cooley went 15-8-2 with a 2.93 GAA and .909 SV% in 26 games with the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) in 2022-23. For the 2023-24 season, expect Cooley and Dustin Tokarski to handle most of the AHL duties for the Sabres.

Toporowski was an undrafted free agent out of the WHL, who had 29 points (15G / 14A) in 47 games with the Providence Bruins (AHL) in 2022-23. Expect the 22-year-old to remain in Providence to start the 2023-24 season.

Megna has been a fringe NHLer his entire career, often seeing playing time at both the AHL and NHL levels in a season. Last year he started the year in Colorado, failing to register a point in 14 NHL games. He was then placed on waivers and scooped up by the Ducks, where he tallied eight points (2G / 6A) in 41 games. With the Bruins, he'll likely open the season in Providence (AHL) but will be one of the first forwards recalled to play in the bottom-6.

Wotherspoon has appeared in 293 AHL games since 2016, but finally made his NHL debut for the Islanders in 2023. He had just one assists in 12 games and signs with the Bruins, where he'll end up back in the AHL to start the 2023-24 season.

Richard has bounced around AHL teams in recent years, playing for Milwaukee, Chicago, Syracuse and Laval since 2020. This year he'll likely start the season and spend most of the year in Providence. He led the Laval Rocket in goals (30), assists (37) and points (67) last year.

Cogliano had 10 goals, nine assists, 85 SOG, 44 PIMs and a +6 plus/minus through 79 game with Colorado in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year extension worth $825,000. The 36-year-old journeyman centre will enter his 17th NHL season and has 184 goals, and 445 points across 1219 career games played.

Sabourin had 16 goals, 17 assists, 177 PIMs and a +7 plus/minus through 51 games played with Belleville (AHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 AAV with San Jose. The 30-year-old right-winger last played in the NHL in 2021-22 and has appeared in 43 career NHL games with two goals, eight points and 49 PIMs.

Carpenter had a goal, two assists, 17 SOG, 10 PIMs and a -5 plus/minus through 22 games with the New York Rangers in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 AAV with San Jose. The 32-year-old centre has played for five NHL organizations since first cracking into the league with San Jose in 2015-16, picking up 27 goals and 72 points across 330 games played.