The NHL offseason
Possible Free Agents
Following the Colorado Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup about a week ago, it’s now time for the offseason and seeing whose available in the free agent market and block buster trades. Anything can happen and anyone can be traded anywhere. Let’s take a look at all the signings and trades that have happened up to this point.
So far during the offseason, much as happened. Just today, Kris Letang signed a 6-year extension deal with the Pittsburg Penguins worth $36.6 million, making him a penguin until the day he retires. Now us penguins fans are just waiting on Malkin to resign. It has an average annual value of $6 million. Bryan Rust had also agreed to a six-year, $30.75 million contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. It has an average annual value of $5.125 million. Brock Boeser agreed to a three-year, $19.95 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks on Friday. It has an average annual value of $6.65 million. Joe Pavelski signed a one-year contract with the Dallas Stars. It has a base salary of $5.5 million and an additional $500,000 in performance-based incentives. Those are all the signings this off season so far. Marc-Andre Fleury has also signed a two-year $7 million dollar deal extension with the Minnesota Wild who could have become an UFA.
In other news today, Alex DeBrincat was traded to the Ottawa Senators by the Chicago Blackhawks for three draft picks, including the number seven pick in the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft. The NY Rangers also traded their backup goalie Alexandar Georgiev to the Colorado Avalanche for a third- and fifth-round pick in the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft, and a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. The Tampa Bay Lightning had also traded veteran defenseman Ryan McDonagh to the Nashville Predators on Sunday to clear space under the NHL salary cap.
As you can see, many players are either signing new contracts with new teams for a better fit at a better chance at winning the Stanley cup or they are resigning with their current teams because they are loyal to that team and don’t want to leave. Other players are traded by the team to receive better assets in return that can help them in the future. Players aren’t getting younger, they must value their time on the team and build a winning team to the fullest extent.
