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Not only was Canada Day on Monday, but it also marked the start of the 2024 NHL free agency period. It was a historic day around the league, according to CapFriendly, as over 100 players were signed to new deals that combined for $1.12 billion.
Yes; that’s billion with a ‘b,’ making it the largest single-day total in league history.
However, similar to every initial day of free agency, the 32 NHL teams encountered different degrees of achievement. While certain teams managed to secure remarkable signings that propelled them closer to their goal of winning the Stanley Cup, others left their fans feeling let down, either through unfavorable contract agreements or by not making any moves at all.
Considering this, we shall now examine three successful outcomes (and one unsuccessful) from the initial day of NHL free agency.
NHL Free Agency 2024 Day 1 Winner: Nashville Predators
Notable Players Added:
- Brady Skjei, D (7 years, $49 million)
- Steven Stamkos, C (4 years, $32 million)
- Jonathan Marchessault (5 years, $27.5 million)
The Nashville Predators, who have been unsuccessful in advancing past Round 1 of the NHL playoffs for the past six years, faced a significant task during the offseason. However, fans of the Preds can rejoice as general manager Barry Trotz wasted no time in spending money to bring in reinforcements.
The Predators landed three of this year’s biggest free agents on Monday forwards Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, as well as defenseman Brady Skjei.
At 34 years old, Stamkos stands as one of the most accomplished goal-scorers in the NHL over the past twenty years. Having secured two Stanley Cup victories, he has accumulated an impressive total of over 1,200 points throughout his career, spanning across 1,210 regular season and playoff games. Although he may have entered a stage where his performance is not at its peak, Stamkos managed to net an impressive 40 goals and achieve 81 points in 79 appearances for the Tampa Bay Lightning during the previous season.
In addition to Marchessault’s scoring prowess, the 33-year-old forward brings valuable experience to the Predators. Despite his age, he continues to defy the constraints of time, as evidenced by his impressive 42-goal season with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023-24. Additionally, Skjei, at 30 years old, is recognized as one of the league’s versatile defensemen. His presence on the team will alleviate some of the burden on Roman Josi, allowing him to perform at his best.
Even if these long-term contracts become obsolete in the future, their significance will be overshadowed by the immediate postseason success that the trio could bring to the Predators. Nashville has successfully achieved the objective of free agency by significantly improving their present performance.
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NHL Free Agency 2024 Day 1 Winner: Washington Capitals
Notable Players Added:
- Matt Roy, D (9 years, $37.7 million)
- Jakob Chychrun, D (via trade)
The Washington Capitals had a disappointing outcome in the 2023-24 NHL season, and it’s widely known. Despite their efforts, Alexander Ovechkin and his team experienced their fifth early playoff exit in the past six years. As a result, their overall playoff record has dropped to 7-20 since their victorious 2018 Stanley Cup win.
Once the offseason arrived, Washington promptly began enhancing their roster. They actively engaged in the early trade market, securing talented players such as Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane, and Logan Thompson. Surprisingly, they only had to surrender a few draft picks and veteran goalie Darcy Kuemper.
The Capitals then followed up those trades with a strong start to NHL free agency. In an effort to strengthen the backend, they signed defenseman Matt Roy to a nine-year, $37.7 million contract. Roy was one of the better right-handed two-way defensemen on the market and will play a big role on Washington’s blue line for the next near-decade.
Despite Roy being the sole major free-agent signing for the Capitals, their activity in the market wasn’t over. They further traded a third-round pick and RHD Nick Jensen to the Ottawa Senators in order to acquire seasoned defenseman Jakob Chychrun. Although Chychrun’s performance in Ottawa may have been underwhelming, he remains a skillful D-man capable of scoring 15 or more goals and accumulating 40 or more points in any given season.
It is clear that the Capitals are making significant moves to support Ovechkin in his last years with the team. Only time will tell whether yesterday’s decisions will yield positive results.
NHL Free Agency 2024 Day 1 Winner: Chicago Blackhawks
Notable Players Added:
- Tyler Bertuzzi, LW (4 years, $22 million)
- Teuvo Teravainen, C (3 years, $16.2 million)
- T.J. Brodie, D (2 years, $7.5 million)
Even though the Chicago Blackhawks had a poor performance in the last NHL season, it was not a concern. The team had focused on rebuilding, and fans were particularly thrilled to witness Connor Bedard’s achievements as a professional, regardless of the number of wins Chicago accumulated.
However, with the 2023-24 season wrapped up, Blackhawks supporters are eagerly anticipating a more competitive team. This has prompted general manager Kyle Davidson to swiftly invest in talent, determined to shed the team’s reputation as a joke.
The Blackhawks strengthened their group of forwards by acquiring experienced players Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen, known for consistently scoring 20 goals and earning 40 to 60 points each season. Additionally, the team made valuable additions with Craig Smith and Patrick Maroon, enhancing the performance of the bottom two lines.
GM Davidson also addressed the defense core by inking Alec Martinez and T.J. Brodie to a pair of deals. While neither man will win the Norris Trophy, they’ll be relied upon to eat minutes while helping mentor Chicago’s younger blueliners. Additionally, 31-year-old netminder Laurent Brossoit was brought in to serve as Petr Mrazek’s backup next year.
Can we expect the Blackhawks to qualify for the playoffs in the 2024-25 season? Only time will provide the answer, yet one thing remains certain: Chicago’s prosperous beginning in NHL free agency has significantly improved the roster for the upcoming year.
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NHL Free Agency 2024 Day 1 Loser: Anaheim Ducks
Notable Players Added:
- None
Every NHL team except the Anaheim Ducks made a minor signing to kick off the free agency period on Monday.
Although the Ducks have not qualified for the playoffs since the 2017-18 season, they decided not to sign any free agents at the beginning of the week. Apart from re-signing Brett Leason and Urho Vaakanainen, it appears that Anaheim will wait for other teams to make their moves before considering any remaining options.
Being less active in free agent signings can sometimes be advantageous considering how many of them turn sour after a few years. However, it’s difficult to feel optimistic about Anaheim’s prospects for next season when their only new additions to the lineup seem to be rookies from the 2024 draft or players called up from the minor leagues.
The Ducks still have ample time to complete their roster, so we will have to wait and see what unfolds in the upcoming days. However, without any further additions, it can be argued that they are among the major free agent disappointments thus far.
NHL Stanley Cup 2025 Odds Following Day 1 of Free Agency
All NHL Stanley Cup odds are courtesy of BetOnline as of 2:28 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 2.
- Florida Panthers (+750)
- Edmonton Oilers (+800)
- New Jersey Devils (+900)
- Dallas Stars (+1000)
- Colorado Avalanche (+1200)
- New York Rangers (+1400)
- Carolina Hurricanes (+1400)
- Toronto Maple Leafs (+1600)
- Nashville Predators (+1600)
- Vegas Golden Knights (+1800)
- Tampa Bay Lightning (+2000)
- Vancouver Canucks (+2200)
- Boston Bruins (+2500)
- Los Angeles Kings (+2500)
- Winnipeg Jets (+2500)
- Detroit Red Wings (+4000)
- Minnesota Wild (+4000)
- Ottawa Senators (+4000)
- New York Islanders (+5000)
- Buffalo Sabres (+5000)
- Pittsburgh Penguins (+5000)
- Philadelphia Flyers (+5500)
- St. Louis Blues (+6000)
- Seattle Kraken (+6000)
- Utah Hockey Club (+6600)
- Calgary Flames (+7500)
- Washington Capitals (+8000)
- Montreal Canadiens (+15000)
- Chicago Blackhawks (+15000)
- Anaheim Ducks (+30000)
- Columbus Blue Jackets (+30000)
- San Jose Sharks (+30000)
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