The latest signings, news, rumblings with market opening at noon Wednesday
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NHL free agency began at noon ET Wednesday with plenty of players signing elsewhere, and some re-signing with their current teams. There were a few blockbuster trades as well with a number of big-name players on the block.
NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen followed the action all day, providing updates on any signings, trades and rumors with NHL.com's free agency live blog.
It's time to wrap up this free agency blog.
As expected, there was a lot of action, a lot to analyze and discuss. And there will be plenty more news to come.
We certainly didn't expect to be talking about two people climbing to the top of the Empire State Building's antenna and a marriage proposal there, but hey we got that in this blog too, along with donuts and cookies and candy and pizza and the Toronto Blue Jays.
The news, though, was heavy on this day.
Sergei Bobrovsky is now with the Toronto Maple Leafs. There will be a lot of analysis on this three-year contract.
The Utah Mammoth got Anders Lee and Vincent Trocheck, expanding their experience, leadership and forward depth.
The New York Rangers remade their defense, trading for Sean Durzi from the Mammoth and Marcus Pettersson from the Vancouver Canucks, and shipping Will Borgen to the Boston Bruins. They also signed forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand and Joe Veleno to one-year contracts.
The San Jose Sharks were busy with defenseman Jacob Trouba and forward Mason Marchment signing as free agents, and Darnell Nurse coming to them in a trade from the Edmonton Oilers. Trouba and Nurse together on the same blue line. You be the judge.
Goalie Stuart Skinner signed with the Winnipeg Jets, but that doesn't mean Connor Hellebuyck is going to be traded -- yet.
The Los Angeles Kings got forwards Mats Zuccarello, Erik Haula and Corey Perry.
Boone Jenner went to the Washington Capitals. Andrei Kuzmenko went to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Rasmus Andersson re-signed with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Bowen Byram (Chicago Blackhawks), Nico Hischier (New Jersey Devils), Eetu Luostarinen (Florida Panthers), Tyson Foerster (Philadelphia Flyers), Ivan Demidov (Montreal Canadiens) and Dan Vladar (Philadelphia Flyers) all signed new contracts that won't begin until the 2027-28 season.
Zach Werenski was not traded and it does not appear he will be any time soon, as both the defenseman and Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell indicated in statements released by the team.
Jason Robertson also was not signed or traded. One or both still has to happen this summer.
There was no news on Dylan Larkin, the Detroit Red Wings captain who has asked to be traded.
We're still waiting word on where goalie Frederik Andersen and defenseman John Carlson will wind up.
The Oilers need to revamp their goaltending and Andersen could be a short-term answer. The Carolina Hurricanes acquired Carlson's rights and were not able to sign him before the free-agent market opened, but there could be a fit there.
Claude Giroux, Vladimir Tarasenko, Patrik Laine, Michael Bunting, Jamie Benn and Mario Ferraro remain unrestricted free agents as of publication of this blog entry.
And will Alex Ovechkin re-sign with the Washington Capitals?
Scroll down through this live blog and you'll be able to re-live the experience of this day, or at least what has happened so far, with real-time analysis.
This is a free agency blog, but the news swirling around Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski is too big to ignore. It's massive, but as reported earlier, it is clear that the team and Werenski, who has two years remaining on his contract, are trying to calm everything down and downplay the trade rumors, and reports of a possible trade, that have been all around this story.
In fact, Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell and Werenski have each issued statements on the matter released by the team moments ago.
From Waddell: "Earlier this spring, Zach and I met and talked about his future with the Blue Jackets beyond his current contract and he indicated that he wasn’t sure what the future would hold with regards to staying with the club or possibly moving on. During those discussions, we talked about me exploring opportunities to move him now and we all agreed if there was a deal to be made that I would bring it to him. We found something that would work for the club and took it to him. After some time and discussions with his family, Zach informed us that he didn't want to leave Columbus. He has invested a great deal in this organization and after coming close and falling short the past two seasons, his desire is to win here and get this team back into the playoffs. The past two seasons have been very challenging ones, but also ones of growth for our team. Our goals from ownership on down and Zach's goals are the same… to win now, return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and win a Stanley Cup. Our city and fans deserve nothing less and we are all on the same page working towards that end. Zach has been a very important part of this organization and our community for a long time, and we couldn't be happier that he will continue to be moving forward."
From Werenski: "Don and I have had very open and honest dialogue since the season ended. Ideally, this wouldn't have become such a public thing but that is the world we live in now and everything got blown out of proportion in my opinion. I want to win and I want to do that in Columbus. As I've thought about things and discussed everything with my wife and family, we want to be in Columbus. It has been my home for the past 10 years and I have always been proud to be a Blue Jacket. We have the best fans in the NHL. I love my teammates and coaches and I'm looking forward to doing everything I can to get us back in the playoffs to compete for a Stanley Cup. Don and I are completely aligned on that and are excited about what's to come with our team."
OK, so there's a lot there.
Waddell confirms there was a trade that the Blue Jackets took to Werenski, who has a no-movement clause in his contract. That was reportedly a trade with the Dallas Stars. Werenski said no, as is his contractual right.
It doesn't appear anything is imminent on the Werenski front now as he very clearly indicates in this statement he doesn't want to leave Columbus now. But the word now is key because at no point in either statement does it say Werenski wants to stay in Columbus beyond the two years remaining on his contract.
But that's also fine, because rarely does the future become an issue when a player with Werenski's stature has two or more years remaining on his contract unless the player makes it an issue. Werenski is not doing that, so he's going to be with the Blue Jackets, for now.
Anders Lee and Vincent Trocheck are going to the Utah Mammoth, bringing more veteran leadership and impact middle-six forwards to a team that is now in win-now mode.
The Mammoth have officially announced the trade with the New York Rangers that brings Trocheck across the United States to Salt Lake City. Utah sends defenseman Sean Durzi, forward Cole Beaudoin and a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft to the Rangers.
For more on that trade, scroll down to 4:55 p.m. ET entry that has all the details and analysis on that trade.
Lee is joining Trochck in Utah on a three-year contract worth $5.4 million annually. Trocheck, by the way, has three years remaining on his contract ($5.625 million).
The 35-year-old Lee was the New York Islanders' captain the past eight seasons. He had 42 points (19 goals, 22 assists) in 82 games last season, and has reached the 20-goal mark in eight of the past 10 seasons.
The Mammoth clearly, after reaching the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season and losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round, felt the need to have more experience, leadership and overall on-ice and off-ice presence. They'll get all of that from Trocheck and Lee.
The New York Rangers are busy remaking their defense group. It looks like they're getting defenseman Marcus Pettersson from the Vancouver Canucks for a top-10 protected first-round pick in the 2030 NHL Draft, and are trading Will Borgen to the Boston Bruins for a second-round pick in the 2027 draft and a conditional third-round pick in 2028.
These trades have not been announced officially by the teams as of yet.
Pettersson, 30, has five years remaining on a six-year contract that has a $5.5 million average annual value. He signed the contract with the Canucks on Feb. 6, 2025. He is taking Borgen's spot. Borgen, 29, has four years remaining on his contract with a $4.1 million AAV.
Pettersson is familiar with Rangers coach Mike Sullivan having played seven seasons for him when they were together with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
New York is also getting defenseman Sean Durzi from the Utah Mammoth in the trade that is sending Vincent Trocheck to the Central Division team.
Durzi, a right-shot, and Pettersson, a lefty, are now expected to be the Rangers new second defense pair behind Vladislav Gavrikov and Adam Fox.
The Edmonton Oilers appear to have their replacement for Darnell Nurse, who has been traded to the San Jose Sharks. The Oilers are reportedly signing defenseman Ryan Shea to a five-year, $20 million contract ($4 million AAV).
Shea had a breakout year with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season with 35 points (six goals, 29 assists) and a plus-30 rating in 80 games. He played well with Erik Karlsson.
Shea is also 29 years old, which means he's two years younger than the 31-year-old Nurse, not to mention $5.25 million cheaper per season. Nurse still has four years left on his contract that pays him $9.25 million annually.
Vincent Trocheck is reportedly on his way out of New York, landing in Utah, with the Rangers getting a strong return for the 32-year-old second-line center who has been in trade rumors for months.
The New York Rangers are trading Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth for 27-year-old defenseman Sean Durzi, 20-year-old center Cole Beaudoin and a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
From the Mammoth's perspective, Trocheck makes perfect sense for them. He will touch every part of their game, from 5-on-5 to the power play to the penalty kill. He'll take and win key face-offs. He'll be their second-line center, but he could be their third-line center and have the same impact. He has three years remaining on his contract worth $5.625 million.
For a team like the Mammoth, who are in a win-now mode, acquiring a player like Trocheck makes them better. Trading Durzi means the Mammoth could be ready to give Dmitri Simashev and/or Maveric Lamoureux an opportunity to play big roles.
From the Rangers' perspective, for a team looking to get younger, this trade works for them.
Durzi will jump right into their top-four, likely the right-shot defenseman behind Adam Fox on the depth chart. He has two years remaining on his contract worth $6 million. He's 27 and coming off a season in which he had 27 points (five goals, 22 assists) in 60 games, averaging 19:16 per game.
Beaudoin instantly becomes one of New York's top forward prospects. The 20-year-old had 88 points (33 goals, 55 assists) in 54 games with Barrie of the Ontario Hockey League last season. He had seven points (three goals, four assists) in seven games playing for Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championships. He's 6-foot-2, 209 pounds. He was the No. 24 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Depending on how things play out, there could be an avenue for Beaudoin to make the Rangers roster this season as a No. 3 center after Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller. That's if the Rangers want to have Noah Laba as their No. 4. If not, Beaudoin could play in Hartford of the American Hockey League, which is the more likely scenario as of now.
The Rangers are also reportedly working on a trade to acquire left-shot defenseman Marcus Pettersson from the Vancouver Canucks. We'll wait and see on that one.
The San Jose Sharks are adding more size and experience to what previously was a thin and relatively inexperienced defense group before the market opened. They acquired defenseman Darnell Nurse from the Edmonton Oilers for defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin and the rights to unsigned draft pick Zachary Sharp, a defenseman.
There is no salary retention in the trade, which means the Sharks are on the hook every last penny left on Nurse's contract, which carries for four more years with an AAV of $9.25 million.
The no salary retention is surprising from the Sharks' perspective, but they didn't have to give up an impact player off their current roster for a player who should be a top-four defenseman for them, which is probably why there is no salary retention.
The Sharks also signed defenseman Jacob Trouba to a four-year, $33 million contract ($8.25 million AAV) earlier Wednesday.
Add it up and they're now employing Nurse and Trouba for the next four seasons at a cost of $17.5 million.
Arguably the best story of the day is Mason Marchment signing with the San Jose Sharks. It's a five-year contract worth $6.75 million annually for Marchment. But the key part of the story is he's joining the team his late father once played for and worked for until his untimely and shocking death on July 6, 2022.
That contract is official now. It's an emotional signing for Marchment as much as it is an impact signing for the Sharks.
Other deals of note: Forward Ilya Mikheyev has signed a four-year contract worth $3.85 million annually with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly signing forward Brandon Duhaime to a three-year contract worth $2.6 million annually.
The Sharks are also reportedly working on a trade to acquire defenseman Darnell Nurse from the Edmonton Oilers after also signing defenseman Jacob Trouba to a four-year contract ($8.25 million AAV).
Goalies off the free agency board:
Daniil Tarasov signs a one-year, $2 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings, Eric Comrie signs a two-year, $2.3 million contract ($1.15 million AAV) with the San Jose Sharks and Vitek Vanecek signs a one-year contract with the New York Islanders (financial terms not disclosed).
Tarasov is Cam Talbot's replacement in Detroit with John Gibson locked in as the No. 1. Comrie joins Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic in a crowded San Jose net. Vanecek is insurance for the Islanders if Semyon Varlamov is not ready to play.
The New Jersey Devils are still in need of a goalie to replace Jacob Markstrom, but it's thinning with Frederik Andersen, Connor Ingram and Talbot as the top three unrestricted free agents still available.
Of course, there's always the potential to trade for Connor Hellebuyck, especially with Stuart Skinner signing with the Winnipeg Jets. But all seems quiet on that front as of right now.
The Edmonton Oilers acquired Devon Levi from the Buffalo Sabres earlier today and the New York Rangers got Joonas Korpisalo from the Boston Bruins.
Of course, the biggest goalie move of the day is Sergei Bobrovsky reportedly signing a three-year, $21 million contract ($7 million AAV) with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Toronto is also reportedly trading goalie Dennis Hildeby to the Tampa Bay Lightning for forward Nick Paul.
A couple of defensemen are off the free agency board as we are now past the three-hour mark of free agency day.
The Washington Capitals have signed Vincent Desharnais to a four-year, $16.8 million contract ($4.2 million AAV). The Anaheim Ducks have signed Nick Jensen to a two-year contract (financial terms not disclosed by the team).
Desharnais, 30, played 53 games with the San Jose Sharks last season, scoring seven points and averaging 18:11 of ice time, blocking 83 shots and finishing with 103 hits. He was a key part of San Jose's penalty kill.
He's the replacement for Trevor van Riemsdyk, who reportedly is signing with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Jensen had 17 points and played 17:01 per game in 61 games with the Ottawa Senators last season. He can be viewed as the replacement for Jacob Trouba, who left the Ducks to sign a four-year, $33 million contract ($8.25 million) with the San Jose Sharks.
Andrei Kuzmenko is reportedly going to the Pittsburgh Penguins on a one-year, $5 million contract.
This move makes sense for the Penguins for the same reasons as Oliver Bjorkstrand makes sense for the New York Rangers as listed in the previous blog entry.
Kuzmenko gives the Penguins added scoring depth (he had 25 points in 52 games with the Los Angeles Kings last season) and he comes at a low-risk cost. He's essentially a replacement for Anthony Mantha, who could land a long-term contract worth more money after scoring 64 points (33 goals, 31 assists) last season.
Clearly, the Penguins have not indicated an interest in going in that direction with Mantha, who was terrific on his bargain contract last season (one year, $2.5 million). The Penguins are hoping for the exact same type of season out of Kuzmenko for double the price.
Oliver Bjorkstrand has signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract with the New York Rangers.
This is the type of signing that makes sense for the Rangers right now.
If they could go all in on a big deal for a major impact player in his mid-20s (Jason Robertson is not coming to The Big Apple) that would be great, but the Rangers aren't at that point and they're not a team right now that players are waiving clauses in their contracts to go to.
So going short-term on a player who fills a need (right wing) and can play on any line, though likely is a fit on the second- or third-line depending on other moves, makes perfect sense.
The last thing the Rangers want to do is buy big on a player in his 30s. That goes against what they're trying to do. They bought big on Pavel Dorofeyev (seven years, $11 million AAV), but he's 25 years old and scored 37 goals last season. There is great upside there.
Bjorkstrand is 31 years old. A one-year deal is a no-risk contract for the Rangers. He scored 12 goals in 80 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season, but that was after four straight seasons of 20 or more goals.
The risk is low and the reward is high. That's the Rangers market right now while they still try to take big swings on players who are entering their primes, like Dorofeyev.
The Chicago Blackhawks added some more forward depth by signing Cole Smith to a three-year, $9 million contract ($3 million AAV).
Smith joins Jordan Greenway as additions to Chicago's forward group so far this offseason, with the likelihood that more will be coming.
Chicago also signed defenseman Ian Cole to a one-year, $4 million contract, providing more depth to the back end.
It's all well and good that the Blackhawks are nibbling around the edges, but they need to take a big bite on an impact winger to play with Connor Bedard, who is now a restricted free agent.
They landed their No. 1 defenseman, or at least the player they're hoping will be their No. 1 defenseman, by acquiring Bowen Byram from the Buffalo Sabres.
Smith and Greenway will help, but the Blackhawks, who know their needs better than we do, know they need help in the top-six forward group.
A couple of signings, reported and official, that should at least be noted here in this blog:
-- The Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly signing center Colton Sissons to a two-year contract ($4.25 million AAV). Sissons was an impact bottom-six center for the Vegas Golden Knights in their playoff run last season.
-- Connor Clifton is going back to the Boston Bruins on a two-year contract ($2.25 million AAV). Clifton, a defenseman, started his career with the Bruins, playing in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, before moving on to the Buffalo Sabres in 2023 and playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins last season.
-- Defenseman Luke Schenn has signed with the Vancouver Canucks, a one-year, $2.25 million contract.
Sergei Bobrovsky could be the next Maple Leafs player to throw out the first pitch at a Blue Jays game, following in the footsteps of Gavin McKenna, of course.
Bobrovsky is signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs for three years and $21 million ($7 million AAV), according to multiple media reports.
Bobrovsky played out his entire seven-year, $70 million contract with the Florida Panthers, winning the Stanley Cup twice and going to the Stanley Cup Final three times.
And now he's going to hope to have the same level of success in Toronto, which hasn't come close to experiencing that type of success in nearly 60 years.
The Panthers signaled the end of Bobrovsky's time in Florida on Tuesday when they acquired goalie Jacob Markstrom in a trade with the New Jersey Devils.
The Maple Leafs opened the door for Bobrovsky by trading Joseph Woll to the Philadelphia Flyers last week, clearing space on their goalie depth chart.
So all of it makes sense, but Bobrovsky, at 37 years old, is coming off a season in which he put up a 3.07 goals-against average and .877 save percentage in 52 games. He had 2.44 GAA and .906 save percentage in 2024-25, and a 2.37 GAA and .915 save percentage in 2023-24.
Toronto clearly does not think Bobrovsky is trending down as he gets older. The Panthers were skeptical, which is why he didn't re-sign with them.
All eyes will certainly be on Bobrovsky now in Toronto.
Jacob Trouba is staying in California, except he's going north, into wine country, and he's taking a bag of money with him.
Trouba, the 32-year-old defenseman, has signed a four-year contract worth $8.25 million annually with the San Jose Sharks. He played the past season and a half with the Anaheim Ducks.
Trouba had 35 points (10 goals, 25 assists) in 81 games with the Ducks last season, leading the team in blocked shots (149).
His contract is the prime example of a well-respected veteran player hitting the free-agent market at the right time. There is a lot of money in the system with the cap going up to $104 million, and teams like the Sharks have it to spend to fill big needs.
They are loaded with young talent up front, led by Macklin Celebrini, of course, but they need a strong on-ice presence on the back end. Trouba will be that for the Sharks. He's getting paid handsomely too.
We have some information on the Zach Werenski trade front from TSN's Darren Dreger, who is reporting that the defenseman, his agent, Judd Moldaver, and Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell met today to get on the same page.
Dreger is reporting that Werenski is comfortable going back to Columbus, that the Blue Jackets could still present him with a trade to approve or reject (he has a no-movement clause), but that doesn't appear to be on the radar at this point.
This is obviously a change in how things appeared to be trending late Tuesday, when it was reported that Werenski nixed a trade that would have sent him to the Dallas Stars, and that he was unhappy with how things were going.
If the Blue Jackets and Werenski, and his agent, can stay on the same page, there is at least hope that Columbus could do enough this offseason and this coming season to entice him to want to stay in Ohio long term.
Werenski has two years remaining on his contract so there is no rush from anyone's perspective.
Frankly, this is all about how things are being communicated and how each side is presenting itself.
If Werenski flat out told the Blue Jackets that he will not re-sign a year from now no matter what, then it behooves the team to act now, when his value might very well be at its highest coming off a Norris Trophy-winning season.
However, if Werenski said he will play out his contract with the Blue Jackets, which means there is still time for him to consider re-signing a year from now, then it is better for the team to have patience and do its best to put a winning team on the ice with No. 8.
Now it sounds, at least per Dreger's report, that the waters have calmed and the latter has a chance of happening. These things can change quickly, but the Blue Jackets likely won't land a player better than Werenski in any trade, so doing what they can to keep him and make him happy is best for them.
Let's go through some low-budget and potential high-value signings that have come through officially or in media reports in the past few minutes:
-- Paul Cotter to the Vancouver Canucks for one year, $2.15 million. Cotter provides bottom-six depth, has the potential for 10 goals and 25 points, and has played in 296 games. He's a quality add for the rebuilding Canucks who need veteran players on the ice and in the dressing room.
-- Matias Maccelli to the New York Islanders for reportedly one year and $2.25 million. He has skill and is only 25 years old. He scored 14 goals for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. He could move up into a top-six role, though he doesn't feel like a long-term fit there.
-- Joe Veleno to the New York Rangers, likely a one-year contract worth around $1 million. The Rangers need a fourth-line center and someone who can bring speed to their bottom six forward group. Veleno, who has elite speed, could fill the role.
As promised in the 1:15 blog entry, more on the Winnipeg Jets and signing goalie Stuart Skinner to a two-year contract ($3.75 million AAV).
This does not mean the Jets are 100 percent trading Connor Hellebuyck, but man it certainly looks like things are trending that way.
Skinner is kind of a tweener between a No. 1 and No. 2, the kind of goalie that would likely be at his best for the Jets if he plays between 35-45 games if healthy for the entire season. He has a career 2.77 goals-against average and .902 save percentage.
But if Hellebuyck is in Winnipeg, he would be playing a lot, upwards of 60 or more games, and it's hard to fathom the Jets paying Skinner $3.75 million to play 20 or so games.
So it leads to the speculation that a Hellebuyck trade is closer to reality, and the Jets will have Skinner and someone else, perhaps a goalie they get in a trade for Hellebuyck, as their tandem going into the season.
The Skinner contract can not be viewed in a vacuum. There is a bigger picture at play here. It doesn't mean Hellebuyck is definitely on his way out, but it certainly looks to be the case.
And if the Buffalo Sabres step up, as their interest in Hellebuyck has been reported, they have three goalies that could be part of a trade with Winnipeg.
Tyson Foerster is staying in Philadelphia long term. The forward and the Flyers have agreed on an eight-year contract ($7.1 million AAV) that will begin in 2027-28 because Foerster still has one year remaining on his current deal.
Foerster is a big part of the Flyers present and future. The 24-year-old is coming off an injury-plagued season, but he was able to still score 13 goals in 29 games and has 61 goals and 100 points in 195 NHL games, all with the Flyers. He scored 25 goals in 81 games in 2024-25.
In some goalie news, the New York Rangers have acquired Joonas Korpisalo from the Boston Bruins to replace the recently retired Jonathan Quick as the backup to Igor Shesterkin.
Samuel Ersson signed a two-year, $4.4 million contract ($2.2 million AAV) with the Ottawa Senators. He went from the Flyers to the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Senators and now finally has a new home in Ottawa.
A couple other deals for forwards have also been reported in the past five minutes I have been writing this particular entry for the blog.
Viktor Arvidsson is going to the Detroit Red Wings on a two-year contract $10 million ($5 million AAV). Ross Johnston is signing a three-year, $6 million contract ($2 million AAV) with the St. Louis Blues. Jack Roslovic to the Toronto Maple Leafs on a two-year deal ($4 million AAV). Noel Acciari is going to the Flyers on a two-year contract ($2.8 million AAV). Jeffrey Viel to the Tampa Bay Lightning for five years ($2.5 million AAV).
And then there is this one; Stuart Skinner to the Winnipeg Jets for two years ($3.75 million AAV).
More on the Jets, Skinner and goaltending in a blog entry to come.
Rasmus Andersson is staying in Las Vegas, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
The 29-year-old defenseman is signing a seven-year, $59.5 million contract ($8.5 million AAV) with the Vegas Golden Knights, who acquired him from the Calgary Flames on Jan. 18.
Andersson had 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 33 games with the Golden Knights after the trade. He also had six points, all assists, in 22 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, helping Vegas reach the Stanley Cup Final.
He was up and down at times, so the Golden Knights are going to need him to play a more steady game, even if it leans more toward the offensive side, but Andersson, considering his age and ability, was arguably the highest end defenseman available.
John Carlson is a UFA. The 36-year-old had his rights acquired by the Carolina Hurricanes, but they were unable to get him signed before the market opened.
As the guy who climbed to the top of the Empire State Building was proposing to the girl he's with up there, the Florida Panthers announced they made their own long-term commitment, signing forward Eetu Luostarinen to an eight-year contract worth $5 million annually.
The contract will begin in the 2027-28 season.
Luostarinen is a huge part of the Panthers and what they're all about so this is a slam-dunk no brainer for them to get him signed long term.
Luostarinen is a valuable middle-six forward but he's known mainly for being a playoff performer. He had 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) in 23 games in the 2025 playoffs, helping the Panthers win their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship.
In addition, the Los Angeles Kings are reportedly signing 41-year-old forward Corey Perry to a one-year, $1 million contract. That means the Kings are reportedly getting Erik Haula (two years, $3.6 million AAV), Mats Zuccarello (one year, $1 million with bonuses) and Perry to add to their stable of veteran forwards.
Defenseman Ian Cole is reportedly getting a one-year contract from the Chicago Blackhawks worth $4.75 million. Depending on how things go for the Blackhawks, Cole could be valuable in what would now be considered an unlikely playoff push or a player who could have value to the Blackhawks approaching the 2027 NHL Trade Deadline.
And forward Jaden Schwartz is reportedly signing a three-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche ($3.25 million AAV). Schwartz had 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) in 50 games with the Seattle Kraken last season.
Schwartz could be a replacement for Valeri Nichushkin, who the Avalanche traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Quick update: Two people have climbed to the top of the Empire State Building antenna. We can see them from the windows that face East and look right down 34th Street from the NHL.com newsroom in the League's main office here in Manhattan.
That is INSANE. They're just standing there hanging off the very top of the antenna holding a flag. They're literally each just holding on with one arm.
They're holding a flag with a message. It does not say where the Columbus Blue Jackets might be trading Zach Werenski.
But, as this happens, Elliotte Friedman from Sportsnet is reporting forward Mason Marchment is going to sign with the San Jose Sharks, a five-year contract worth $7 million annually.
His late father, Bryan Marchment, played for the Sharks from 1997-2003 and was working with them until his untimely death on July 6, 2022, when he was in Montreal for the 2022 NHL Draft.
San Jose is quickly becoming a destination for players with the young talent the Sharks have assembled, led by forwards Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Michael Misa and Ivar Stenberg, the No. 2 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Marchment split last season with the Seattle Kraken and Columbus Blue Jackets, posting 45 points (19 goals, 26 assists) in 58 games.
Erik Haula and Mats Zuccarello are reportedly signing with the Los Angeles Kings. It's a two-year contract worth $7.2 million ($3.6 million AAV) for Haula. It's expected to be a one-year contract worth $1 million plus potential bonuses for Zuccarello.
Haula is basically the replacement for Scott Laughton, who is an unrestricted free agent. Zuccarello likely replaces Andrei Kuzmenko, who is also a UFA.
The Kings need help down the middle and Haula can be a middle-six center for them. He can also play the wing. His versatility is intriguing as he comes off a season in which he had 38 points (14 goals, 24 assists) in 81 games for the Nashville Predators.
Zuccarello, even at 38 years old, is still an elite distributor, especially on the power play. When he was injured in the playoffs last season the Minnesota Wild's power play struggled big time. When he was on the ice, the power play surged.
Zuccarello had 54 points (15 goals, 39 assists) in 59 games last season with the Wild, including 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) on the power play.
The fact is that the Kings are moving on from Anze Kopitar, who retired after last season, and they need Quinton Byfield to step up in a big way to replace much of what they lost in Kopitar. But veteran versatile forwards like Haula and Zuccarello will help.
Further north in the Pacific Division, the Seattle Kraken have announced a three-year contract for forward Mackie Samoskevich ($3.85 million).
The Kraken acquired Samoskevich from the Florida Panthers last month. They gave up a first-round pick in the 2026 draft and a second-round pick in the 2027 draft to get him, so you knew they were going to re-sign him.
Samoskevich won the Stanley Cup with the Panthers in 2025 and had 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in 77 games last season.
Contracts that are now official:
-- Goalie Dan Vladar with the Philadelphia Flyers, five years with a $5.5 million AAV, kicks in at the start of the 2027-28 season.
-- Defenseman Olen Zellweger with the Buffalo Sabres; three years with a $3.1 million AAV, starts this season.
-- Center Nico Hischier with the New Jersey Devils; five years with a $11.7 million AAV, kicks in at the start of the 2027-28 season.
There will be more flowing in here shortly.
There are also reports that defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk is signing with the Pittsburgh Penguins and forward Erik Haula is signing with the Los Angeles Kings.
The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward Ivan Demidov to an eight-year contract worth $9.125 million annually, according to his agent, Dan Millstein, who earlier this morning teased big news coming out of Montreal on his X account.
Demidov has one-year left on his current contract, so the new deal kicks in at the start of the 2027-28 season, giving the Canadiens nine seasons of cost certainty with one of the top young players in the League.
He had 62 points (19 goals, 43 assists) in 82 games as a rookie last season.
The free-agent market is now open for business.
The Philadelphia Flyers will be announcing a new five-year contract for goalie Dan Vladar ($5.5 million AAV) in the next few minutes. It will begin with the 2027-28 season. Vladar's agent, Dan Millstein, confirmed the contract in a post on X.
Millstein, by the way, also wrote on his X account that his agency will have "big news coming out of Montreal." It's a tease for now.
The Buffalo Sabres are signing defenseman Olen Zellweger to a three-year contract that is worth in the neighborhood of $9 million total, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
The Sabres acquired Zellweger in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. The 22-year-old had 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 76 games with the Ducks last season.
The Florida Panthers also posted a video with Tynka Gudas, Radko Gudas' daughter, saying she's coming back to them and bringing her dad with her, certainly a cute way to break news that the veteran defenseman is signing with the team.
It's reportedly a six-year contract worth $1.5 million annually for the 36-year-old defenseman.
The Panthers acquired Gudas' rights from the Ducks on Monday in exchange for the rights to forward A.J. Greer, who is also expected to sign a four-year contract with Anaheim.
By the way, instead of doing this live blog from my home, I'm in the NHL's New York City office in the NHL.com newsroom. I've already had a donut and two mini Twix bars, and pizza just arrived.
I chose wisely.
We're getting closer to the free agent market opening and Pierre Lebrun of TSN and The Athletic is reporting the Philadelphia Flyers are among the teams who will be trying to sign 38-year-old forward Claude Giroux.
Giroux to Philadelphia would obviously be a big reunion as he played exactly 1,000 games with the Flyers until they traded him to the Florida Panthers late in the 2021-22 season. He is Philadelphia's second all-time leading scorer with 900 points (291 goals, 609 assists).
He was the Flyers captain for 10 years from 2012-22.
Giroux has played the past four seasons with the Ottawa Senators and had 49 points (14 goals, 35 assists) in 82 games last season.
Lebrun is also reporting the New Jersey Devils are closing in on re-signing captain Nico Hischier to a five-year contract worth $11.7 million annually. The contract won't begin until the 2027-28 season as Hischier has one year remaining on his seven-year contract ($7.7 million AAV).
An hour before the free agent market opens and we have a trade.
The Dallas Stars have traded forward Mavrik Bourque and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin to the Nashville Predators for a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft a third-round pick in the 2028 draft that previously belonged to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Bourque can become a restricted free agent at noon. Lyubushkin has one year left on his contract ($3.25 million AAV).
Bourque is the key in this trade, perhaps mostly from the Stars' perspective, because moving him could be an indication that they believe they are closer to re-signing forward Jason Robertson, who also is set to become a restricted free agent.
The Stars reportedly attempted to do a sign-and-trade with Robertson to send him to the Seattle Kraken with an eight-year contract worth approximately $15 million last week. That fell through because Robertson didn't agree to the contract to go to Seattle.
Dallas general manager Jim Nill has not hid his desire to re-sign Robertson, but there has always been a difference of opinion on the contract. If they're trading Bourque and Lyubushkin, and not taking a salary in return, it could mean the Stars are lining things up to get Robertson re-signed.
We'll wait to see on that.
For now, Bourque and Lyubushkin are going to Nashville and a couple of draft picks are coming back to Dallas.
Bourque scored 20 goals and had 41 points in 82 games with the Stars last season. Lyubushkin had nine points (one goal, eight assists) in 53 games.
Also, it appears Nicholas Robertson, Jason's brother, is being traded to the Penguins for a draft pick.
A few updates that have come through in the past hour, with still two hours remaining until the free agent market opens:
-- Forward Nick Foligno and defenseman Zach Bogosian are expected to re-sign with the Minnesota Wild, according to The Athletic. Foligno fit in well with the Wild in a bottom-six role after they acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks on March 6. Marcus Foligno, Nick's brother, is signed with the Wild for two more seasons. Bogosian will remain a depth defenseman for Minnesota if he re-signs. He played through a lot of pain in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Wild also re-signed forward Bobby Brink to a one-year, $2.75 million contract Tuesday.
-- Nick Cousins signed a two-year contract to stay with the Ottawa Senators. It has an average annual value of $1.5875 million. Cousins had 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) in 81 regular season games with the Senators, who also touted his persona record 92 penalty minutes in the press release announcing the signing.
Bowen Byram is reportedly expected to sign a six-year contract worth $12.5 million annually with the Chicago Blackhawks. It will begin in the 2027-28 season.
He’s entering the last of a two-year contract ($6.25 million AAV). The Blackhawks acquired Byram from the Buffalo Sabres on June 23, sending the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft to Buffalo as part of the trade. They acquired him clearly to be their No. 1 defenseman and soon enough the 25-year-old will be paid as such.
So, count Byram as another player getting a hefty raise in this new NHL rising cap market. He is about to double his annual salary.
In other Buffalo-related news, it is expected that forward Patrick Kane, who is from Buffalo, will be available when the free agent market opens in three hours.
Could Kane live out a childhood dream and play for the Sabres?
Stay tuned.
It could be a different type of free agent frenzy this year with the trade market certainly in the first seat on the offseason roller coaster.
Another blockbuster went down Tuesday when the Florida Panthers acquired goalie Jacob Markstrom from the New Jersey Devils. And there was apparently a bigger trade that didn’t happen, with Sportsnet reporting Columbus Blue Jackets’ Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Zach Werenski used his no-movement clause to veto a trade to the Dallas Stars.
Werenski is obviously not long for Columbus. He has two seasons left on his contract, but clearly the two sides are too far down the road for him to return, so expect a trade at some point, but apparently not to Dallas.
But back to Markstrom and the goalies. Florida acquiring the Swede means Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to become an unrestricted free agent when the market opens in 12 hours.
It also could mean the Winnipeg Jets have a better idea of the market for goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who should net a big return if traded after winning the Hart Trophy and Vezina Trophy in 2024-25, and the gold medal with Team USA at the Winter Olympics earlier this year.
Trading Markstrom leaves the Devils a gaping hole in net. Could it be filled by Hellebuyck through a trade? That would be a bigger one than Markstrom to the Panthers. Or perhaps New Jersey eyes Bobrovsky through a free-agent signing. Or potentially Frederik Andersen, the longtime Carolina Hurricanes goalie who is also set to hit the market.
It's not a lock that the Devils will have a new goalie at some point Wednesday, but they're certainly in the market.
All of this is to say the free agent market opens in 12 hours and while the conversation around the League has been about this year offering an underwhelming variety of players who are expected to be available as UFAs, there will still be plenty of news once the buying begins.
And there will be plenty of well-known players getting a lot of money in their new shiny contracts.
The salary cap for the 2026-27 season is going up to $104 million, an $8.5 million raise from where it was last season ($95.5 million). That means there is more money in the system.
That's a good thing for the pending UFAs such as Bobrovsky and Andersen, defensemen John Carlson, Jacob Trouba and Rasmus Andersson, and forwards Patrick Kane, Anthony Mantha, Vladimir Tarasenko, Anders Lee, Mason Marchment, Claude Giroux and Mats Zuccarello.
(Side note: Kane going home to play for the Buffalo Sabres and Lee going home to play for the Minnesota Wild would be cool stories).
It might not be a list of A+ superstars in their prime, but nevertheless it's a list of impact players who will be getting paid a handsome amount.
Jeremy Lauzon could have been on that list, but he reportedly signed a six-year contract to stay with the Vegas Golden Knights on eve of free agency Tuesday. It's reportedly worth $4 million on an average annual value basis, which is a $2 million annual raise for the 29-year-old defenseman.
A.J. Greer is another one who could have taken his talents to the UFA market but instead opted to reportedly sign a four-year, $17 million contract with the Anaheim Ducks. That's a $4.25 million AAV for the 29-year-old forward who was making $850,000 annually on his previous contract.
There will be bigger money deals than those two, but those deals give you an indication of the money in the system and how players are going to be rewarded with it.
Everyone following has to recalibrate their cap-savvy minds to understand more money in the system means more money for depth players.
The restricted free agent market is one to watch, too, with Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard, Ducks center Leo Carlsson and Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli -- the top three picks in the 2023 NHL Draft -- all in line for big-money second contracts.
But the RFA that has the most noise around him now is Jason Robertson of the Stars. He reportedly turned down a sign-and-trade eight-year contract that would have paid him in the neighborhood of $15 million per season to go to the Seattle Kraken.
With the report that Werenski turned Dallas down, it has certainly been an interesting few days there.
The Stars are likely still attempting to re-sign the forward, and there's no guarantee that it gets resolved one way or the other Wednesday. But Robertson is part of the trade market that could continue to unravel on free agency day.
That is where a lot of the action is this year, anyway, with Hellebuyck, Robertson, Werenski, Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin, and New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck churning in the rumor mill.
And don't forget players entering the last season of their contract become eligible to sign new deals to begin at the start of the 2027-28 season. It's a superstar list of defensemen Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche and Quinn Hughes of the Minnesota Wild, and forwards Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks, Montreal Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov, and Devils captain Nico Hischier.
So, this could be a busy Wednesday on a lot of fronts. Each move could have an impact on future deals.
Follow along here for all the details as they happen.
T-minus 12 hours.
