NHL free agency blog

Welcome to NHL free agency. The market opened at noon ET on Saturday, when players began signing with new teams. NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen followed the action all day with our free agency blog.

RELATED: [2023 NHL Free Agent Tracker | 2023-24 NHL Trade Tracker]

6:45 p.m. ET

It's been quite a day of NHL teams remaking their depth charts.

The Nashville Predators made waves by signing forwards Ryan O'Reilly and Gustav Nyquist, and defenseman Luke Schenn.

Matt Duchene, the forward bought about by the Predators on Friday, signed with the Dallas Stars.

The New York Rangers beefed up their depth with forwards Blake Wheeler, Nick Bonino, Tyler Pitlick and Riley Nash, defenseman Erik Gustafsson and goalie Jonathan Quick.

The Detroit Red Wings added center J.T. Compher and defenseman Justin Holl.

Defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Michael Bunting went to the Carolina Hurricanes, who also re-signed goalies Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta, and forward Jesper Fast. Forward Max Pacioretty left Carolina to sign with the Washington Capitals.

The Boston Bruins remade their depth by adding forwards Milan Lucic, Patrick Brown, Morgan Geekie and James van Riemsdyk, and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. They lost Orlov and defenseman Connor Clifton, who along with defenseman Erik Johnson signed with the Buffalo Sabres.

The Pittsburgh Penguins re-signed goalie Tristan Jarry, and added forwards Lars Eller and Matt Nieto, defenseman Ryan Graves and goalie Alex Nedeljkovic.

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed defenseman John Klingberg and forward Ryan Reaves.

The Anaheim Ducks got better and more experienced by adding forward Alex Killorn and defenseman Radko Gudas.

The New York Islanders kept their own, re-signing goalies Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov, defenseman Scott Mayfield and forward Pierre Engvall.

Forward Jason Zucker went to the Arizona Coyotes. Goalie Joonas Korpisalo went to the Ottawa Senators.

There's so much more too, and it's all in this blog.

But there's more to come.

What about Vladimir Tarasenko? Kevin Weekes of NHL Network and ESPN reported that he has multiple offers and is mulling them over.

Forwards Tyler Bertuzzi, Alexander Kerfoot, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Garnet Hathaway and Tomas Tatar, and defensemen Matt Dumba and Shayne Gostisbehere are all still available.

In the goalie market there's Jaroslav Halak and Martin Jones.

The market still has players who can make an impact. It's been a busy Saturday and it could stay that way into the night, but this live blog is signing off.

Continue to follow NHL.com for all the free agency coverage and the fall out of it all.

6:33 p.m. ET

Ryan O'Reilly's four-year, $18 million contract with the Nashville Predators was just announced.

Before it was made official, general manager Barry Trotz talked about the center and what he will bring to the team, calling him a serial winner and mentioning the fact that he has won the Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe Trophy, Selke Trophy and World Cup of Hockey.

All true. Add the Lady Byng Trophy too.

"He reminds me of a Joe Pavelski-type of guy, a guy that continues to produce, people follow him and everybody around him is better," Trotz said. "That really, for me, for our young guys, our culture, that was critical. That was a critical piece for us."

O'Reilly is nine games away from 1,000 for his NHL career. He has 702 points (256 goals, 446 assists), including 30 points (16 goals, 14 assists) in 53 games between the St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs last season. He has won 55.8 percent of his face-offs. He's one of the best at the dot in the NHL season after season.

"What areas does he not affect?" Trotz said. "He has an effect on the offensive zone. He has an effect on the defensive zone. He has an effect in the faceoff circle. He has effect in late-game situations offensively and defensively. People follow him. People do the things that are not always easy to do, to win. He does that all over the ice.

"Some people say he's not the quickest guy. It was funny, someone says [to me] 'Is he quick?' I said, 'He's only quick when the puck is there.' When there's a race for the puck, he's quick. You'll see that he finds the pucks, he finds ways. You play fast with your mind, not necessarily with your legs. I've had a lot of players that are really, really fast but don't really play a fast game. He's one of those guys."

Most importantly, Trotz said O'Reilly is a player who "can really leave a mark on an organization in a positive way."

He certainly did that with the Blues, winning the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy in 2019.

"I can tell you this, Ryan O'Reilly is the first guy probably at the rink every morning," Trotz said. "I haven't had him full time. I've just done some tournament-based things with him. He's the first guy at the rink, the first guy on the ice, the last guy off the ice. This guy, he loves the game. To me, you want guys that love to compete, love the game and we've got a bunch of them here."

6 p.m. ET

Have we heard Vladimir Tarasenko's name yet? It's possible we will soon. Kevin Weekes of NHL Network and ESPN reported that Tarasenko has multiple offers and is mulling them over. It's possible a decision pending, but as we wrap up our live blog on Day 1 of free agency, Tarasenko is one of the players that is still available.

So are forwards Tyler Bertuzzi, Alexander Kerfoot, Jonathan Toews, Garnet Hathaway and Tomas Tatar, and defensemen Matt Dumba and Shayne Gostisbehere.

In the goalie market there's Jaroslav Halak and Martin Jones.

The market still has some players who can make an impact. It's been a busy Saturday and it could stay that way into the night, but this live blog is signing off.

Continue to follow NHL.com for all the free agency coverage and the fall out of it all.

5:54 p.m. ET

Let's give some credit to the Anaheim Ducks for adding some veterans who should help the young players there and help make the team better this season.

Forward Alex Killorn signed a four-year contract and defenseman Radko Gudas signed a three-year contract.

Each are experienced, hard-nosed players. Killorn scored 27 goals last season and has won the Stanley Cup twice with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Gudas is one of the most ferocious defenseman in the NHL and reached the Stanley Cup Final last season with the Florida Panthers.

The Ducks still have a long way to go, but Killorn and Gudas could be key contributors if/when they become playoff contenders in a year or two.

5:30 p.m. ET

The Detroit Red Wings have signed center J.T. Compher to a five-year contract with an AAV of $5.1 million.

This is a big get for the Red Wings, who need veterans who can produce, play the middle, and show a young team what it takes to win. Compher won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche last year.

Detroit didn't have to break the bank to get him, but at 28 years old Compher can be the Red Wings' No. 2 or No. 3 center depending on how coach Derek Lalonde wants to use Andrew Copp too.

Dylan Larkin is the Red Wings' No. 1.

If the Red Wings can develop or sign another center, Compher or Copp could move to the wing.

Compher had 52 points (17 goals, 35 assists) in 82 games with the Avalanche last season, playing primarily as the No. 2 center behind Nathan MacKinnon.

5:25 p.m. ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs (finally) announced the signing of forward Ryan Reaves even though this one has been known throughout the day. It's three years with an AAV of $1.35 million.

We don't know who the Maple Leafs were bidding against for Reaves, but going the third year is probably what clinched it for them. Ideally, you get Reaves signed for two years, but the third year was the price to pay for the Maple Leafs.

Reaves won't necessarily be on-ice protection for Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitchell Marner or John Tavares because he's not going to play with them really at any point. But his presence on and off the ice has been a factor wherever he's gone.

He's not a major contributor, but he's not being paid as one either. He's being paid for as much as who he is and what he brings on the bench and in the dressing room. As for being a protector for star players, that's not a thing anymore in the NHL.

5:02 p.m. ET

The Penguins added another veteran forward, bringing in center Lars Eller on a two-year contract with an AAV of $2.45 million.

Add Eller to a day of signings that includes goalies Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic, forwards Noel Acciari and Matt Nieto, and defenseman Ryan Graves. All of that information is available in the 4:39 p.m. ET entry.

The Penguins also acquired forward Reilly Smith in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.

Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas said he was going to try to keep the Penguins as a Stanley Cup contender in the short term without sacrificing the long term, and he's done that.

Graves will be around for six years and Jarry for five, but Acciari got a three-year contract, Eller and Nieto each got two years, Smith still has two years left on his contract, and Nedeljkovic got one year.

And the only future asset, other than cap space, the Penguins had to give up to get them is a third-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft (Smith trade).

5 p.m. ET

The New York Islanders have announced the following:

-- Goalie Ilya Sorokin signed an eight-year contract extension that kicks in next season (he still has one year left on his current contract)

-- Defenseman Scott Mayfield signed a seven-year contract

-- Forward Pierre Engvall signed a seven-year contract

-- Goalie Semyon Varlamov signed a four-year contract

The Islanders did not release financial terms on any of the contracts, but Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Sorokin's contract is worth $8.25 million annually and Engvall's deal is worth $3 million annually. There's no word yet how much on Mayfield and Varlamov.

So the Islanders have their goaltending set for the next four seasons at least. Sorokin on an eight-year deal is great for them too because he's the real deal. He will win the Vezina Trophy once, if not more than that in the next nine years.

Mayfield is a solid top four defenseman and Engvall is a solid bottom six forward.

The interesting thing about these signings by the Islanders is that it bucks the trend of the market this year. Sorokin was a lock to get a max term extension, but it wasn't certain that Mayfield, Engvall and Varlamov would get the term they got.

The Islanders are showing their belief in these four players, but they need to add more scoring or it's not going to matter very much. This can't be it for them.

4:39 p.m. ET

The Pittsburgh Penguins have made a flurry of signing announcements in this hour.

Look back to the 4:10 p.m. ET entry for the news on goalie Tristan Jarry.

They also signed defenseman Ryan Graves to a six-year contract with an AAV of $4.5 million, Noel Acciari to a three-year contract with an AAV of $2 million and goalie Alex Nedeljkovic to a one-year, $1.5 million contract.

It's clear the Penguins, and new president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas, is putting a value on size and being tough to play against. They wanted to be big and hard to play against last season, but it didn't exactly pan out that way and they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

Graves, who is 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, is familiar with the Penguins and their style having played in the Metropolitan Division with the New Jersey Devils the past two seasons. He'll bring physicality and a long reach to the Penguins back end that is still being remade.

Brian Dumoulin will not return and there have been reports that the Penguins could be shopping Jeff Petry too. There are also reports that they are in discussions to potentially acquire Norris Trophy-winner Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks.

As the Toronto Maple Leafs GM last season, Dubas acquired Acciari before the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline so he's familiar with his game. Acciari will add a lot of bite and some offense to the Penguins' bottom six forward group.

Nedeljkovic gives the Penguins more depth in net. They needed that last season with injuries to Jarry and Casey DeSmith, who is still signed for one more season. There will be competition between DeSmith and Nedeljkovic as to who will be the backup to Jarry.

4:23 p.m. ET

The remaking of the Boston Bruins has been fascinating to watch and they just announced all of the details of their many free agent signings.

* Patrick Brown, forward, two-year, $800,000 AAV

* Morgan Geekie, forward, two-year, $2 million AAV

* Milan Lucic, forward, one-year, $1 million AAV (potential for $500,000 in performance-based incentives)

* James van Riemsdyk, forward, one-year, $1 million

* Kevin Shattenkirk, defenseman, one-year, $1.05 million

The Bruins also signed forwards Jayson Megna, Anthony Richard and Parker Woltherspoon to one-year, two-way contracts with an NHL cap charge of $775,000. And they signed forward Luke Toporowski to a two-year entry-level contract with an NHL cap charge of $870,000.

Gone are forwards Taylor Hall, Nick Foligno, Tyler Bertuzzi, Garnet Hathaway and Tomas Nosek, and defensemen Dmitry Orlov and Connor Clifton.

In are Brown, Geekie, Lucic, van Riemsdyk, Shattenkirk, Megna, Richard, Wotherspoon, Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula.

There are still questions about forwards Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, and goalie Jeremy Swayman.

Bergeron and Krejci are both UFAs and if they want to play they will sign with the Bruins, but that is not expected to happen Saturday. Swayman is a restricted free agent but the Bruins are expected to re-sign him and run it back with Linus Ullmark and Swayman as their goalies.

4:12 p.m. ET

Tristan Jarry is going back to the Pittsburgh Penguins and it's a big deal for the 28-year-old goalie. It's five years, $26.875 million ($5.375 AAV).

There is no doubt that Jarry was the best goalie available on the free agent market and a five-year contract is about right for him at his age and experience. As soon as Joonas Korpisalo got five years and $20 million from the Ottawa Senators it should have been assumed that Jarry was getting something similar, but a little more.

It shouldn't be surprising that he got it with the Penguins either because they had an obvious need in net and sometimes you have to be careful who you let go because what you get instead may not be close to as good.

Jarry's contract could look like a bargain next season when the salary cap goes up $4-5 million. But he has to stay healthy. And that's been the biggest bugaboo for him.

When he has been healthy, Jarry has been a favorite of Penguins coach Mike Sullivan and he's been good.

He was good last season, going 24-13-7 with a 2.90 goals-against average and .909 save percentage in 47 games. He was better in 2021-22, going 34-18-6 with a 2.42 GAA and .919 save percentage in 58 games.

This isn't as big of a gamble as one would think, but Jarry has to be healthy. That said, we could say the same thing about every goalie who is signed to a long-term contract to be a No. 1.

The Penguins also signed defenseman Ryan Graves to a six year contract with an AAV of $4.5 million. Graves played the last two seasons for the New Jersey Devils.

4 p.m. ET

The Tampa Bay Lightning are really good at finding great value in the bargain bin. Maybe they have with 27-year-old goalie Jonas Johansson, who signed a two-year, $1.5 million ($775,000 AAV).

Johansson is big at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds. He played in only three games with the Colorado Avalanche last season, but went 2-0-0 with a 2.10 goals-againsta verage and .932 save percentage.

He spent most of the season with the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League and went 14-9-2 with a 2.33 GAA and .920 save percentage, finishing third in the AHL in GAA and fourth in save percentage.

It's obvious that Andrei Vasilevskiy is the No. 1 in Tampa Bay, but when you pay your No. 1 goalie $9.5 million you need to find value for your No. 2. Johansson could be that value add as he gets a bigger opportunity in the NHL than he's had before.

3:48 p.m. ET

The Nashville Predators have announced a signing, but it's not the reported Ryan O'Reilly deal.

They announced they have signed defenseman Luke Schenn to a three-year, $8.25 million contract ($2.75 AAV).

Some other deals that have been announced:

The Anaheim Ducks have signed forward Alex Killorn to a four-year contract.

The Winnipeg Jets have signed goalies Laurent Brossoit and Colin Delia and foward Vlad Namestnikov.

The Arizona Coyotes signed forwards Jason Zucker to a one-year contract and forward Nick Bjugstad to a two-year contract.

3:15 p.m. ET

Who is still available? Plenty of significant names.

Vladimir Tarasenko tops the list. If he's looking for a long-term contract this doesn't appear to be the market to get it in. Tarasenko might have to go the one-year route, bet on himself and reset for next season, when the cap could go up $4-5 million.

Tyler Bertuzzi should have plenty of suitors. It doesn't appear as if he's going back to the Boston Bruins. They've gone in a different direction with short-term, relatively inexpensive contracts.

Alex Killorn should be a valuable player wherever he lands. He scored 27 goals last season. He won the Stanley Cup twice with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

J.T. Compher is a middle-six center. Those players are normally hot commodities, but this isn't a normal market.

Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are available. It's more likely that the former Chicago Blackhawks stars wait to sign.

On defense, there's Matt Dumba, John Klingberg and Ryan Graves. And in net it's still Tristan Jarry leading the pack, but there's also Jaroslav Halak and Laurent Brossoit.

Remember, free agency isn't even four hours old. This isn't a deadline, it's the start.

3 p.m. ET

Dmitry Orlov is officially a defenseman for the Carolina Hurricanes, signed to a two-year, $15.5 million contract ($7.75 million AAV).

Orlov, who turns 32 on July 23, might very well have been the best defenseman available on the market this year and the Hurricanes get him on a good term with Orlov getting good money. He can also do this again through free agency after the 2024-25 season.

The Hurricanes now have Orlov, Jaccob Slavin, Brent Burns, Brady Skjei, Brett Pesce and Jalen Chatfield signed as their defense group.

There's talk that they may be involved in the trade talks with the San Jose Sharks on Erik Karlsson. There are questions about Pesce too. He has one year remaining on his contract. But if they stick with that top six, that's as good as it gets in the NHL.

Hurricanes GM Don Waddell is addressing the media at 4 p.m. ET.

2:42 p.m. ET

Jason Zucker is going to the Arizona Coyotes on a one-year, $5.3 million contract, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

The odds of Zucker re-signing with the Pittsburgh Penguins dropped significantly when they acquired Reilly Smith from the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.

This is a good signing for the Coyotes to get a veteran forward who plays hard, can score, gets injured but is reliable when he's in the lineup.

But now the question also is what are the Penguins doing?

We know they have Smith and won't have Zucker, but what about their goaltending situation? Tristan Jarry is still an unrestricted free agent and maybe the Penguins can or are circling back to the goalie to see if he'd be willing to re-sign on their terms.

The goalie market has been interesting with most taking one or two year contracts, but then there is the outlier of Joonas Korpisalo getting a five-year, $20 million contract from the Ottawa Senators.

The Korpisalo deal has to be what Jarry is eyeing too, but will he get it. There are limited teams that even have that type of need and Ottawa was one of them. The Penguins are too, but they could go in a different direction and leave Jarry with even fewer suitors.

Jarry might decide the Penguins are his best option. There's no doubt that coach Mike Sullivan likes Jarry. He went to bat for him time after time in the past two seasons.

The Penguins are also reportedly involved in complicated trade discussions with the San Jose Sharks involving Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson. If they're doing that, they may not be focused on goaltending right now.

2:40 p.m. ET

Matt Duchene is reportedly going to the Dallas Stars one a one-year, $3 million contract. Duchene was a UFA because the final three years of what was an eight-year, $56 million contract was bought out by the Nashville Predators on Friday.

Duchene had 56 points (22 goals, 34 assists) in 71 games with the Predators last season. He set NHL career bests in goals (43), assists (43) and points (86) in 2021-22.

The fact is the Stars are getting a veteran forward who is a known scorer, and adding Duchene gives the Stars a top-nine forward group of Roope Hintz, Jason Robertson, Joe Pavelski, Tyler Seguin, Wyatt Johnston, Jamie Benn, Evgenii Dadonov, Mason Marchment and Duchene.

It's hard to find another top-nine forward group in the NHL that's as good as the one in Dallas.

2:24 p.m. ET

The Tampa Bay Lightning are on the board, signing two-time Stanley Cup champion forward Conor Sheary to a three-year, $6 million contract ($2 million AAV).

It looks like Sheary is Tampa Bay's replacement for Ross Colton, who the Lightning traded to the Colorado Avalanche.

Colton is a restricted free agent who will likely get a significant raise from the $1.125 million he was making last season. Sheary at $2 million is probably going to come in cheaper than Colton on his next deal.

Sheary had 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists) in 82 games with the Washington Capitals last season. He won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017.

2:20 p.m. ET

The Boston Bruins are bringing back a fan favorite from a decade ago. Welcome back forward Milan Lucic.

Lucic started his career with the Bruins in 2007-08 and played 566 games with them, scoring 342 points (139 goals, 203 assists) before moving on to the Los Angeles Kings and then to Alberta to play first with the Edmonton Oilers and next with the Calgary Flames.

Lucic is not the same type of offensive player he was when he first played in Boston, but the Bruins aren't looking for that. They want his leadership and his physical play. It's reportedly a one-year contract and if Lucic can bring those qualities then he will be worth it.

The Bruins have also signed defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, and forwards Patrick Brown, James van Riemsdyk and Morgan Geekie. None of the terms have been confirmed by the team.

It's obvious that the Bruins are remaking their roster quite a bit after trading Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno to the Chicago Blackhawks and losing defenseman Dmitry Orlov (Carolina Hurricanes) and Tyler Bertuzzi (TBD) in free agency.

The big question is still will they get Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci to return to play in the NHL again this season. That may not be known for a while.

As of now, the Bruins will likely run it back in net with goalies Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. Ullmark is signed for two more seasons ($5 million AAV). Swayman needs a new contract. He's a restricted free agent.

1:55 p.m. ET

Max Pacioretty is going to the Washington Capitals on a one-year, $2 million contract with an additional $2 million in performance-based incentives.

This is a strong gamble by the Capitals to add a proven goal-scorer to play left wing behind Alex Ovechkin.

It was a bad-luck season for Pacioretty with the Carolina Hurricanes. He missed all but five games because of multiple Achilles injuries. If he's healthy, Pacioretty is someone the Capitals could probably count on for 30 goals. But he has to be healthy.

Pacioretty is 34 years old and considering the injuries he's endured the one year, prove-it term is right for the Capitals. He has 645 points (326 goals, 319 assists) in 855 NHL games with the Montreal Canadiens, Vegas Golden Knights and Hurricanes.

The Capitals are trying to keep it together to stay a relevant Stanley Cup contender in the remaining years of the Ovechkin era. If this works out, Pacioretty will help them do that.

1:25 p.m. ET

OK, let's catch up here, because they're coming in fast and furious, as expected in the first hours of free agency.

The Vancouver Canucks announced they've signed one year contracts with defenseman Ian Cole ($3 million) and forward Teddy Blueger ($1.9 million).

The Detroit Red Wings announced they signed defenseman Justin Holl to a three-year contract worth $3.4 million annually.

The New Jersey Devils got their veteran right shot defenseman by acquiring Colin Miller from the Dallas Stars for a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Miller has one year remaining on his contract ($1.85 million AAV).

More to come.

1:15 p.m. ET

The Buffalo Sabres added experience on their back end by signing Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton.

Johnson signed a one-year, $3.25 million contract and Clifton signed a three-year contract worth $3.33 million annually.

It's smart for the Sabres to add veteran depth on their back end that already featured Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson and Henri Jokiharju.

The Rangers also had three more signings to announce.

Tyler Pitlick signed a one-year, $787,500 contract. Riley Nash signed a two-year contract. We're awaiting the money on Nash's deal, but the first year is one-way and the second is two-way. Alex Belzile signed a two-year contract with the Rangers.

Pitlick and Nash are expected to be with the Rangers this season. Belzile's contract is a two-way deal in the first year and a one-way deal in the second, so he could go to Hartford of the American Hockey League without waivers.

New York previously signed forward Blake Wheeler and goalie Jonathan Quick. Information on those signings are below in the 12:38 p.m. ET blog entry.

1:05 p.m. ET

Some goalie movement:

Joonas Korpisalo is going to the Ottawa Senators on a five-year, $20 million contract ($4 million AAV).

Frederik Andersen is reportedly returning to the Carolina Hurricanes after all, signing a two-year, $6.8 million contract ($3.4 million AAV) shortly after becoming a UFA.

The term on Korpisalo's contract is a bit surprising considering five years in length, but the Senators are banking on him being the goalie that takes them to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

It's hard to argue Korpisalo's potential value to the Senators. He's been good when healthy. He went to the Los Angeles Kings from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a trade last season and went 7-3-1 with a 2.13 goals-against average and .921 save percentage.

If that's the Korpisalo that the Senators are going to get for five years than they're in a great spot. But five years is still a gamble for an oft-injured 29-year-old goalie.

Andersen going back to the Hurricanes means they seem to be running it back with the same goaltending depth as they did last season. They also reportedly signed Antti Raanta to a one-year, $1.5 million contract Saturday. And they have Pyotr Kochetkov signed for four years at $2 million per season.

Considering none of Andersen, Raanta and Kochetkov played in more than 34 games last season, the Hurricanes are banking on needing all three again this season.

12:38 p.m. ET

Blake Wheeler is going to the New York Rangers on a one-year, $800,000 contract that includes the potential for another $300,000 in bonuses if he meets the conditions in the contract.

Wheeler was an unrestricted free agent because the Winnipeg Jets bought out the last year of a five-year contract.

Honestly, this is a no-brainer signing by the Rangers, especially since it's not even costing them $1 million on the cap this year. Wheeler, who is 36 years old, could be the best bargain buy in the free-agent market this season.

Wheeler had 55 points (16 goals, 39 assists) in 72 games with the Jets last season and 115 points (33 goals, 82 assists) in 137 games in the past two seasons. There's no reason why, if healthy, he can't be at least a 50-point player for the Rangers this season.

The size matters too. He's 6-foot-5, 220 pounds. And he played with Rangers captain Jacob Trouba with the Jets, so there's some familiarity there.

But most importantly the Rangers have an obvious need a right wing in their top-six forward group. They acquired Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane before the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline to fill the right wing spot on the top two lines last season. Tarasenko and Kane are both UFAs.

Kaapo Kakko is expected to get a look in a top-six role, but if Alexis Lafreniere, who is still a RFA, wants to remain at left wing, he'll do so behind Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin. Wheeler could play right wing on a line with either Mika Zibanejad or Vincent Trocheck.

On paper, this looks like a perfect fit for Wheeler and the Rangers. If necessary, he could play right wing on the third line too, likely with center Filip Chytil.

The Rangers also signed goalie Jonathan Quick to a one-year, $825,000 contract that includes the potential for $100,000 in bonus money if all conditions in the contract are met.

Quick, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, including last season as the backup with the Vegas Golden Knights, grew up a big Rangers fan living in Connecticut so this is probably a bit of a dream come true for him.

The Rangers view Quick as a valuable resource for goalie Igor Shesterkin. They have to hope he can play in the neighborhood of 20-25 games too.

12:23 p.m. ET

A couple of moves announced by the New Jersey Devils:

-- Michael McLeod, one-year, $1.4 million

-- Nate Bastian, two year, $2.7 million ($1.35 million AAV)

McLeod centered the Devils' fourth line for a lot of last season and had 26 points (four goals, 22 assists) in 80 games. He won 60.6 percent of his face-offs, ranking third in the NHL. He won 587 face-offs, including 512 in the defensive zone.

Bastian could play with McLeod on the fourth line this season. The right wing had 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 43 games with the Devils last season.

The Devils could still be in the market for a veteran goalie and a right-shot defenseman.

12:10 p.m. ET

We have a trade to announce.

The Washington Capitals have acquired defenseman Joel Edmundson from the Montreal Canadiens for a third-round pick and a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.

Montreal is retaining 50 percent of Edmundson's $3.5 million salary cap charge. He is entering the last year of a four-year, $14 million contract.

The Capitals need a left-shot defenseman and that's exactly what Edmundson is. He brings experience, a Stanley Cup-winning pedigree (2019 with the St. Louis Blues), size and, physicality and reach.

And to get Edmundson for $1.75 million after the Canadiens retain the salary, well that's a great get for the Capitals, who are trying to stay contenders after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. They didn't have to overpay in the free-agent market for a defenseman. Boom.

The Canadiens got ahead of the trade market on Edmundson and end up with two draft picks, most notably a third-round pick. They probably would have gotten something similar at the trade deadline, but it's a risk because who knows if Edmundson is healthy at that point so it makes sense for the rebuilding Canadiens to do this deal now.

12 p.m. ET

The market is open.

TSN's Darren Dreger is reporting right wing Blake Wheeler is narrowing his list and the New York Rangers are a strong contender.

The Rangers have an obvious need at right wing in their top-six forward group. Kaapo Kakko should get an opportunity there, but if Alexis Lafreniere won't move away from his comfort zone at left wing then the Rangers need another right wing and Wheeler could be it.

We'll see where that goes.

It doesn't appear forward Alex Killorn will return to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The long-time Lightning left wing is a UFA and Pierre Lebrun from The Athletic and TSN reports that a last-ditch effort to get him re-signed in Tampa Bay did not yield a positive result.

Killorn should be a hot commodity on the market. He can play on a top line, second line or third line and produce. He can play on a power play. He's a solid goal scorer.

Dreger is also reporting that the Hurricanes have signed goalie Antti Raanta to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. Expect the Hurricanes to make that official soon.

11:55 a.m. ET

Jesper Fast is going back to the Carolina Hurricanes, signing a two-year, $4.8 million contract ($2.4 million AAV).

Fast fits in Carolina with coach Rod Brind'Amour's style. He can play on any of the Hurricanes four lines and doesn't change. He plays with speed, strong defensive acumen and he can get in on the offense.

Fast had 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists) in 80 games last season. He had nine points (six goals, three assists) in 15 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The bigger news for the Hurricanes is the fact that they are reportedly in the mix to acquire defenseman Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks.

We'll see where that goes, but wouldn't it be interesting if the Hurricanes got Karlsson this year after acquiring Brent Burns from the Sharks last year. Karlsson and Burns were teammates with the Sharks for four seasons from 2018-22.

The Karlsson trade talk could dominate the day and weekend if it goes into Sunday.

11:47 am. ET

Mackenzie Blackwood is expected to sign with the San Jose Sharks, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. It could be a two-year contract.

The Sharks acquired Blackwood from the New Jersey Devils on Thursday but did not issue the pending RFA a qualifying offer Friday because they were intent on signing him to a contract. It appears that is happening now, which takes another goalie off the board.

Blackwood could be the new No. 1 in San Jose. He'll compete for that job with Kaapo Kahkonen, who played 37 games last season but went just 9-20-7 with a 3.85 goals-against average and .883 save percentage. Those are eye-popping numbers for all the wrong reasons.

Blackwood is 65-57-18 with a 2.97 GAA and .906 save percentage in 152 games with the Devils. He hasn't been the same because of injuries and illnesses in the past three years since he went 22-14-8 with a 2.77 GAA and .915 save percentage in 2019-20.

This is a fresh start for Blackwood.

11:40 a.m. ET

What is going on with Alex DeBrincat and the Ottawa Senators?

The Senators are expected to trade the 25-year-old forward because he said he doesn't want to sign a long-term contract. DeBrincat is a restricted free agent and Ottawa can still keep him on a one-year contract through arbitration but if he doesn't want to be there long term, it doesn't make sense to keep him short term either. You want to trade him when his value is high.

It also doesn't make much sense for the Senators to wait too long into free agency to trade DeBrincat because they need to have an understanding of what they're dealing with in terms of cap space, needs and player availability.

The news around DeBrincat will be worth paying attention to all day.

The Senators reportedly could have interest in goalie Semyon Varlamov if he doesn't re-sign with the Islanders. Ottawa will lose Cam Talbot in free agency, reportedly to the Los Angeles Kings.

And Adam Fantilli has officially signed with Columbus.

11:27 a.m. ET

The New York Rangers are expected to sign Jonathan Quick to a one-year contract to be their backup goalie behind Igor Shesterkin. They could also sign forward Alexis Lafreniere and defenseman K'Andre Miller to new contracts. Each are coming off their entry-level contracts and are expected to get shorter term bridge deals from the Rangers.

Beyond that, the Rangers likely won't be making any big splashes with limited cap space. They might, however, dive into the depth forward market and one name to consider is Tyler Motte, who the Rangers acquired in advance of the NHL Trade Deadline the past two years.

Motte said he would love to return to the Rangers when he spoke to the media two days after they were eliminated by the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference First Round.

It makes sense for the Rangers if they can get him on a short term, low dollar deal. Motte is exactly the type of $1 million or $1.5 million player the Rangers need in their bottom six to play the with the speed and grind that coach Peter Laviolette will be looking for in his first season with the team.

If it's not Motte it could be someone else, but expect the Rangers to tread lightly in free agency and, if they do go to the market, find some bargain buys like Motte.

11:10 a.m. ET

It's less than an hour until the market opens but we're seeing reports of players who are "trending" or "will sign" with certain teams.

Cam Talbot to the Los Angeles Kings on a one-year contract, according to Kevin Weekes of NHL Network and ESPN.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson to the Florida Panthers on a one-year contract, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

Talbot to the Kings makes sense, especially if they are not going to re-sign Joonas Korpisalo, who it appears will go to free agency. That gives Los Angeles a tandem of Talbot and Pheonix Copley, at least for now.

Korpisalo is one of the better options in goal for teams that need help in that area.

Ekman-Larsson, a UFA because the Vancouver Canucks bought out his contract, gives the Panthers another left-handed shooting defenseman with offensive upside. It gives Florida a replacement for Marc Staal, also a left-shot defenseman, who appears headed for free agency.

The Panthers also have Gustav Forsling and Josh Mahura on the left side. Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour are the only two right-handed shooting NHL veteran defenseman they have signed, so there's work to do there. Radko Gudas is a pending UFA.

10:42 a.m. ET

Mike Babcock is officially the coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets new.

What does this mean for the Blue Jackets in free agency? That remains to be seen, but it's clear that they're not messing around and they want to win ASAP.

Columbus already remade part of its defense core by acquiring Damon Severson from the New Jersey Devils and Ivan Provorov from the Philadelphia Flyers in separate trades.

The Blue Jackets selected center Adam Fantilli with the No. 3 pick in the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft on Wednesday.

TSN's Darren Dreger reported earlier Saturday that Fantilli is expected to sign his three-year entry level contract, meaning he won't be returning to the University of Michigan for his sophomore season.

With Fantilli in the fold, and the Blue Jackets feeling he's ready to play in the NHL right away, that means it's one less hole or need they need to fill in free agency or the trade market. That might mean the Blue Jackets stay on the periphery of the market Saturday, but with former Columbus center Matt Duchene and right wing Blake Wheeler available, it's fair to wonder.

10:03 a.m. ET

There's an interesting development out of Carolina. According to Pierre Lebrun of TSN and The Athletic, goalie Frederik Andersen appears ready to test the free agent market, although there remains a possibility he still returns to the Hurricanes.

Why is that interesting?

Hurricanes GM Don Waddell said Wednesday they were in discussions with Andersen and Antti Raanta, who is also a pending UFA goalie, about re-signing both.

With Lebrun's report that Andersen might test free agency, that means either the Hurricanes have lost some interest or he has lost some interest in them. Either way, if Andersen leaves, the Hurricanes are insulated at the position by having Pyotr Kochetkov already signed to a four-year, $8 million contract ($2 million AAV) that could look like one of the best bargains in the NHL as soon as this season.

The Hurricanes could re-sign Raanta too and have a Kochetkov-Raanta tandem. Waddell said Kochetkov will get games this season. He played 24 last season. Andersen led the Hurricanes goalies with 34 games last season and Raanta played 27.

In an ideal world, the Hurricanes would have two goalies splitting most of the 82 games this season, if not all of them. Injuries were a big part of their goaltending story last season, including in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. All three goalies played in the playoffs.

Also, the worst-kept secret in hockey became official on Saturday with Mike Babcock being introduced as the new coach of the Blue Jackets.

9:50 a.m. ET

Two hours until the market opens and there's been some signings already and plenty of reports.

Klim Kostin and Gustav Lindstrom both re-signed with the Detroit Red Wings. Kostin, a forward, signed a two-year contract, $4 million contract ($2 million average annual value). Lindstrom, a right-shot defenseman, signed a one-year, $950,000 contract.

Kostin and Lindstrom would have been unrestricted free agents.

The Red Wings acquired Kostin from the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday but did not issue him a qualifying offer Friday with the intent of working out the two-year contract with him.

Kostin had 21 points (11 goals, 10 assists) in 57 games with the Oilers last season.

Detroit also did not give a qualifying offer to Lindstrom, who had eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 36 games with Detroit last season.

The Ottawa Senators re-signed defenseman Erik Brannstrom to a one-year, $2 million contract. He's 23 years old and had 18 points (two goals, 16 assists) in 74 games last season. Brannstrom has already played in 190 NHL games.

In other news, it appears Ryan O'Reilly will hit the open market at noon, according to Pierre Lebrun from The Athletic and TSN. The Toronto Maple Leafs might still make a push to re-sign the center, but he could be on the move in a few hours.

One of the biggest names on the trading block, Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, might have one less suitor. The New Jersey Devils were rumored to be in on him, but TSN's Darren Dreger reports they're in the market more for a depth goalie to play with Vitek Vanecek.

That would mean the Devils might want Akira Schmid to spend more time in the American Hockey League, but he did play well in the Stanley Cup Playoffs so that remains to be seen as the goalie situation in New Jersey is fluid.

There is and should be a lot of interest in center Matt Duchene and right wing Blake Wheeler after both were bought out Friday, Duchene by the Nashville Predators and Wheeler by the Winnipeg Jets, making them UFAs.

The Maple Leafs are reportedly ready to sign forward Ryan Reaves to a three-year contract and the New York Rangers will sign goalie Jonathan Quick to be the backup to Igor Shesterkin.

12 a.m. ET

The market will open in 12 hours. Will there be a lot of action?

That's the big question heading into free agency this year.

Several NHL general managers said this week that they think it could be more of a trade market than a free agent market, and we've already seen several trades with the likelihood of more to come.

There's a chance that defenseman Erik Karlsson (San Jose Sharks) and forward Alex DeBrincat (Ottawa Senators) will get traded. That would be bigger news than any free agent signing this year.

"A lot of guys that were going to hit free agency signed, and I think a flat [NHL salary] cap changes the dynamics also," St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. "I think if you're going to improve your team you might want to do it via trade. That's the way we decided to do it."

There is also an assumption being made by some GMs that the cap ($83.5 million, up $1 million from last season) and the trade market could make for an extended free agency period, at least from what we're used to in the NHL.

"Five years ago … by July 2 you could hang up the 'Gone Fishin'' sign," Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving said. "I think you're going to see an elongated time frame (this year)."

But that doesn't mean the market isn't deep enough for a frenzied day of signings Saturday.

Some of the biggest names on the market are forwards, a list that features Ryan O'Reilly (Maple Leafs), Vladimir Tarasenko (New York Rangers), Tyler Bertuzzi (Boston Bruins), Matt Duchene (Nashville Predators), Jonathan Toews (Chicago Blackhawks), Patrick Kane (Rangers), Alex Killorn (Tampa Bay Lightning), Michael Bunting (Maple Leafs), Max Domi (Dallas Stars), Jason Zucker (Pittsburgh Penguins), Video: Ryan O'Reilly joins Nashville Predators (Winnipeg Jets), J.T. Compher (Colorado Avalanche) and Tomas Tatar (New Jersey Devils).

The Predators placed Duchene on waivers Friday for the purpose of a buyout. The Jets did the same with Wheeler. That means both are on the above list as unrestricted free agents.

Notice that Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci were not mentioned. That's because if they are going to play this season the assumption is that it will be with Boston, the only NHL team either player has played for. But the Bruins are waiting for them to decide if they'll play.

Among the defensemen available are Dmitry Orlov (Bruins), Mathew Dumba (Minnesota Wild), Shayne Gostisbehere (Carolina Hurricanes), Ryan Graves (Devils), Scott Mayfield (New York Islanders), John Klingberg (Wild) and Carson Soucy (Seattle Kraken).

There is some thought that Mayfield could return to the Islanders, but the clock is ticking on that. The rest are expected to be available.

On the goalie market, there are Tristan Jarry (Penguins), Semyon Varlamov (Islanders), Frederik Andersen (Hurricanes), Antti Raanta (Hurricanes), Joonas Korpisalo (Los Angeles Kings), Jaroslav Halak (Rangers) and Jonathan Quick (Golden Knights).

Andersen and Raanta are expected to return to Carolina. Hurricanes GM Don Waddell said as much Wednesday at the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft in Nashville.

Quick is reportedly ready to sign with the Rangers, the team he grew up rooting for as a young goalie in Connecticut.

The Penguins are expected to let Jarry get to the market, meaning they won't be bringing him back.

The thing about this crop of UFAs is, though none is necessarily a franchise-changer, each has a chance to make a significant impact and contribution on whatever team he goes to.

In the right spot, Tarasenko could score 30-40 goals, Duchene could have 80 points, Bertuzzi could be a top-six wing, Toews could be a No. 2 or No. 3 center, and Kane, when healthy after recovering from hip surgery, could be the game-changer he has always been.

Orlov, Dumba, Graves, Mayfield and Soucy are easily top-four defensemen. Gostisbehere and Klingberg can run the power play.

Jarry and Hill could be No. 1 goalies.

We'll find out soon, hopefully Saturday, where it all shakes out.

Sleep well.