The NHL’s free agency will begin July 1 at 12 PM ET and despite the lack of top-tier talent available, there is plenty of value to be found in this year’s class.
Names like Tyler Bertuzzi, Dmitry Orlov and Matt Duchene are among the big ones to get, while players like Alex Killorn, JT Compher and Blake Wheeler will be in demand by general managers looking to bolster their rosters.
Many teams have already gotten ahead of the free-agent craze by locking up players who were about to go on the open market, with newly acquired Ivan Barbashev, Eric Hoola and Corey Perry to stay with their teams, and there will surely be more to come in the hours leading up to the official start of free agency. .
Follow here with our tracker and live blog for the latest signings, rumours, deals and more.
The full list of free agent signings in the NHL:
O’Reilly, Schenn expected it to hit the open market
TSN’s Pierre Lebrun reported early Saturday that UFA center Ryan O’Reilly will not re-sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and that he will be heading to the free agent market as of noon on July 1. February in a three-team deal between the St. Louis Blues and the Minnesota Wild. He scored 11 points in 14 games in Toronto and added nine points in 11 playoff games.
TSN’s Chris Johnston also reported Saturday that defenseman Luke Chien won’t be returning to the Maple Leafs either. Toronto’s Shinn landed a third inning via the Vancouver Canucks on February 28, making a strong impression in his second stint with the Leafs.
Duchene, Wheeler are among the 4 players bought
Matt Duchene, Blake Wheeler, Kyler Yamamoto and Mike Riley will become free agents July 1 after buying out their contracts on Friday.
Duchene was the biggest surprise on the set. He’s coming off an average season by his standards with 56 points in 71 games, but scored 43 goals and added 43 assists in 2021-22. His $8 million target may not be team friendly, but he’s still a solid offensive player.
As a result of this acquisition, the Predators will save $5.44 million in 2023-24, but their savings will be more modest in the next two years ($2.44 million and $1.44 million, respectively). After that, they’ll have $1.55 million in the books from 2026-27 to 2028-29.
Black Hawks sign Corey Perry to a one-year deal
The Chicago Blackhawks didn’t wait long to put pen to paper with their latest acquisition, signing veteran winger Corey Perry to a one-year, $4 million deal on Friday.
Perry brings plenty of leadership and experience to the Blackhawks team led by top draft pick Conor Bedard and joins Taylor Hall as a former Hart Trophy winner to join the organization in recent weeks.
The 38-year-old scored 12 goals and 25 points in 81 games while playing the fourth line role with the Lightning last season.
The Hurricanes quickly re-signed, parting ways with Puljujarvi
Carolina Hurricane is reportedly close to closing a deal with unrestricted free agent Jesper Fast, as she prepares to move on from Jesse Polliojarvi.
According to NHL insider Christ Johnston, the Hurricanes are in the process of finalizing a two-year extension with the Fast that will cost $2.4 million.
Fast, 31, has been a solid contributor for the Hurricanes over the past three seasons, scoring 10 goals and 29 points in 80 games and contributing penalty kills.
Puljujarvi is facing a lengthy recovery after recently undergoing double hip surgery, and will not receive a qualifying offer from the Hurricanes, according to Johnston, making him a free agent.
It’s an unfortunate development for the 2016 fourth overall team, which struggled last season after arriving to Carolina in a trade from Edmonton, tallying just two assists in 17 games. The 25-year-old scored just five goals and 16 points in 76 games between the two teams last season.
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