Utah Signs Andrew Agozzino, Travis Barron To Two-Way Deals
Utah is bringing in some more minor-league reinforcements ahead of their first season. Journeyman forward Andrew Agozzino has inked a two-year, two-way deal, while ex-Coyotes minor league winger Travis Barron will remain with AHL Tucson next season on a one-year, two-way deal as they switch affiliations from Arizona to Utah. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Agozzino, 33, is a premier AHL scoring forward and often sits high on the list of potential recalls with whatever club he happens to be signed with. He’s bounced around plenty of times throughout his career, with Utah becoming the sixth different team he’s signed an NHL contract with and his fourth team in the past four years.
He spent last season with the Ducks but didn’t see NHL ice for the first time since 2017-18. He didn’t let it get him down, leading AHL San Diego in scoring with 26 goals and 64 points in 72 games. He won’t be much of a factor in the NHL for Utah in their inaugural campaign, but he’s an important reinforcement for Tucson and should be a first-line fixture for their minor league club.
Barron, 25, will stick around after spending the last three seasons on AHL and NHL contracts with the Roadrunners. A checking winger first and foremost, he’s contributed 29 goals and 62 points in 182 games for Tucson since signing with them in 2021. Utah becomes his third NHL team after previously signing deals with the Avalanche and Coyotes – he was a Colorado seventh-round pick back in 2016 and suited up for their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles in parts of three seasons.
Utah now has 37 standard player contracts signed for 2024-25 after the moves, 13 short of the limit, per CapFriendly.
Capitals Sign Luke Philp, Spencer Smallman To Two-Way Deals
The Capitals have signed forwards Luke Philp and Spencer Smallman to two-way deals, according to a team release. They both carry $775K cap hits and NHL salaries. Philp will earn $375K while in the minors, and Smallman will earn $350K.
Now entering his sixth professional season, Philp, 28, will look to rebound after an injury-plagued 2023-24 campaign. An Achilles injury sustained in August limited him to 15 games of action last season, all with the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate in Rockford. There, he had two goals and six points in 15 games. He’s one year removed from making his NHL debut with Chicago, recording an assist and an even rating in three games in 2022-23.
Philp is a top-six AHL forward when healthy and can play both center and right wing. After recording 53 points in 60 games with Rockford a season ago, he’ll presumably head to Washington’s affiliate, the Hershey Bears, who have won back-to-back Calder Cup championships.
Smallman will join Philp in Hershey. The 27-year-old has spent the last two seasons on a two-way deal with the Avalanche, which didn’t result in any NHL time. The 6’1″ right-winger is a decent minor-league depth scoring presence and had 12 goals and 21 points in 53 games last season.
Neither are likely candidates to receive NHL call-ups next season and will be far down the list of potential injury replacements in Hershey, although Philp could see some action if Washington needs immediate short-term help down the middle. Both will become UFAs upon expiry next summer.
Kraken Sign Ben Meyers To One-Way Deal
The Kraken have signed left winger/center Ben Meyers to a one-year, one-way, league minimum deal, the club announced last night. He became a UFA early, thanks to his Group VI status, and moves on to his third NHL club in the past few months.
Meyers, 25, will be a familiar face for Minnesotans and avid national team followers. The 5’11”, defensively-sound pivot was a star for the University of Minnesota not all that long ago and represented the United States at the 2022 Olympics, where he had four points in four games. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been a smooth NHL ride for Meyers, who signed with the Avalanche as an undrafted free agent after wrapping up his collegiate career two years ago.
He couldn’t make a consistent NHL impact in Colorado, spending about half his time in the Avs organization in the minors. Even when in the NHL, he had a minimal impact, limited to six goals and no assists in 53 games across parts of three seasons in solely fourth-line minutes. A trade deadline deal sent him to the Ducks for a fifth-round pick a few months back, where nothing really changed. While he wasn’t demoted to their minor-league affiliate, he didn’t do much to elevate himself in the Anaheim lineup, recording two assists and a -2 rating in 14 games.
Meyers had good numbers with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles over the past two years, though, and now looks to parlay that into an NHL roster spot in Seattle. A one-way deal, while still completely buriable in the minors, suggests he has the inside track on one of the forward spots up for grabs out of training camp in the fall. He’ll be competing to replace depth forwards like Pierre-Édouard Bellemare and Kailer Yamamoto, who are unlikely to return to the Kraken after reaching UFA status yesterday.
If Meyers plays at least 13 games for Seattle next year, they’ll control his signing rights next summer as an RFA with arbitration rights. If not, he maintains his Group VI status and will be a UFA upon expiry.
Minor Free Agent Signings: Pacific Division
With over 180 deals signed during the first day of free agency yesterday, some smaller names may have gotten lost in the shuffle. Here’s a list of names that have inked two-way deals with Pacific Division clubs since the market opened yesterday, per CapFriendly. Some of these may have been included in our main coverage yesterday, while others went under the radar. All contracts carry the league-minimum $775K cap hit unless stated otherwise). Those listed here are likely to begin 2024-25 with each team’s AHL affiliate.
Anaheim Ducks
none
Calgary Flames
G Devin Cooley (two years)
F Martin Frk (one year)
Edmonton Oilers
D Connor Carrick (one year)
G Collin Delia (one year)
F James Hamblin (two years)
D Noel Hoefenmayer (one year)
F Noah Philp (one year)
Los Angeles Kings
F Glenn Gawdin (two years)
F Tyler Madden (one year)
F Jack Studnicka (one year)
D Reilly Walsh (one year)
San Jose Sharks
D Lucas Carlsson (two years, $800K cap hit)
D Jimmy Schuldt (one year)
Seattle Kraken
F Brandon Biro (one year)
D Nikolas Brouillard (one year)
D Maxime Lajoie (one year)
F Mitchell Stephens (two years)
Vancouver Canucks
G Jiří Patera (one year)
F Nathan Smith (one year)
Vegas Golden Knights
F Zach Aston-Reese (one year)
Minor Free Agent Signings: Central Division
With over 180 deals signed during the first day of free agency yesterday, some smaller names may have gotten lost in the shuffle. Here’s a list of names that have inked two-way deals with Central Division clubs since the market opened yesterday, per CapFriendly. Some of these may have been included in our main coverage yesterday, while others went under the radar. All contracts carry the league-minimum $775K cap hit unless stated otherwise). Those listed here are likely to begin 2024-25 with each team’s AHL affiliate.
Chicago Blackhawks
none
Colorado Avalanche
F Joel Kiviranta (one year)
Dallas Stars
D Kyle Capobianco (two years)
F Cameron Hughes (one year)
F Kole Lind (one year)
Minnesota Wild
F Travis Boyd (one year)
D Joseph Cecconi (one year)
D Cameron Crotty (one year)
F Brendan Gaunce (two years)
G Troy Grosenick (one year)
F Ben Jones (two years)
F Devin Shore (one year)
F Reese Johnson (one year)
Nashville Predators
D Nick Blankenburg (two years)
F Vinnie Hinostroza (two years)
F Jake Lucchini (two years)
G Matt Murray (one year)
St. Louis Blues
none
Utah Hockey Club
D Kevin Connauton (two years)
F Miko Matikka (three years, $870K entry-level cap hit)
Winnipeg Jets
none
Minor Free Agent Signings: Metropolitan Division
With over 180 deals signed during the first day of free agency yesterday, some smaller names may have gotten lost in the shuffle. Here’s a list of names that have inked two-way deals with Metropolitan Division clubs since the market opened yesterday, per CapFriendly. Some of these may have been included in our main coverage yesterday, while others went under the radar. All contracts carry the league-minimum $775K cap hit unless stated otherwise). Those listed here are likely to begin 2024-25 with each team’s AHL affiliate.
Carolina Hurricanes
none
Columbus Blue Jackets
D Cole Clayton (one year, $950K entry-level cap hit)
F Owen Sillinger (one year)
New Jersey Devils
F Mike Hardman (two years)
D Colton White (two years)
New York Islanders
none
New York Rangers
none
Philadelphia Flyers
none
Pittsburgh Penguins
D Nathan Clurman (one year)
D Mac Hollowell (one year)
F Jimmy Huntington (one year)
F Bokondji Imama (one year)
D Ryan Shea (one year)
Washington Capitals
G Mitchell Gibson (one year)
D Chase Priskie (one year)
Minor Free Agent Signings: Atlantic Division
With over 180 deals signed during the first day of free agency yesterday, some smaller names may have gotten lost in the shuffle. Here’s a list of names that have inked two-way deals with Atlantic Division clubs since the market opened yesterday, per CapFriendly. Some of these may have been included in our main coverage yesterday, while others went under the radar. All contracts carry the league-minimum $775K cap hit unless stated otherwise). Those listed here are likely to begin 2024-25 with each team’s AHL affiliate.
Boston Bruins
F Cole Koepke (one year)
D Jordan Oesterle (two years)
D Billy Sweezey (two years)
F Riley Tufte (one year)
F Jeffrey Viel (one year)
Buffalo Sabres
F Joshua Dunne (two years)
F Mason Jobst (one year)
F Brett Murray (one year)
D Jack Rathbone (one year)
G Felix Sandström (one year)
Detroit Red Wings
F Sheldon Dries (two years)
F Joe Snively (one year)
Florida Panthers
F Rasmus Asplund (one year)
Montreal Canadiens
none
Ottawa Senators
D Jeremy Davies (one year)
F Hayden Hodgson (one year)
F Garrett Pilon (two years)
D Filip Roos (one year)
Tampa Bay Lightning
D Derrick Pouliot (one year)
D Steven Santini (one year)
F Jesse Ylönen (one year)
Toronto Maple Leafs
none
Sabres Sign James Reimer
Goaltender James Reimer has signed a one-year, one-way deal with the Sabres, per a team release. Initially announced as a two-way deal but quickly changed, the contract will pay him $1MM this season.
Reimer, 36, is coming off a middling 2023-24 campaign. He opened the season as part of a three-goalie rotation with the Red Wings alongside Ville Husso and Alex Lyon, but an injury to Husso early on upgraded him to a full-time backup role. The veteran netminder finished the season with decent numbers overall, posting a .904 SV% and 3.11 GAA with two shutouts in 25 games for the Wings with an 11-8-2 record. He was in no danger of ever stealing the starting role from the breakout journeyman Lyon, but he was serviceable and much-improved from a difficult 2022-23 season with the Sharks (.890 SV%, 3.48 GAA in 43 GP).
A league-average netminder over the course of his 14-year, 501-game career, it’s a bit surprising Reimer couldn’t find a home with more guaranteed playing opportunities next season. Instead, he’ll likely serve as veteran insurance for Buffalo’s young goalie duo of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi, the latter of whom projects to be ready for full-time NHL action this season after recording a .927 SV% in 26 games with AHL Rochester last year.
Reimer’s $1MM cap hit will make it easier to sneak him through waivers if he doesn’t crack the roster out of camp compared to a league-minimum deal. If he ends up as third on their depth chart and is assigned to Rochester, it would be his first time in the minors since 2010-11 with the Maple Leafs.
Lightning Sign Victor Hedman To Four-Year Extension
The Lightning have signed franchise defenseman Victor Hedman to a four-year contract extension worth $8MM per season, the team announced today. The deal kicks in beginning in 2025-26 and will keep him in Tampa through 2028-29.
The extension is signing-bonus heavy and carries a full no-move clause, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports.
Hedman and the Lightning were headed toward unrestricted free agency next summer, a fate both surely wanted to avoid after watching longtime captain Steven Stamkos depart for the Predators yesterday. Notably, Hedman’s extension is the exact same length and total value as Stamkos’ deal in Nashville. The new deal is a slight raise on his $7.875MM cap hit, which remains in effect for 2024-25 as he plays the final season of the eight-year, $63MM extension he signed in Tampa back in 2016. Hedman, 33, will now be 38 years old when his contract runs out.
Hedman, drafted second overall in 2009, remains Tampa’s undisputed top blue liner and is arguably the second-best talent in franchise history behind Stamkos. They don’t win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 without the 6’7″ Swede, who was crowned the Conn Smythe winner the first time around. He was a Norris finalist in every season from 2016-17 to 2021-22 (winning in 2017-18), a span in which he recorded 85 goals, 289 assists, 374 points and a +117 rating while averaging 24:34 across 428 games played.
Two years ago, however, it looked like Hedman’s decline might have started early. 2022-23 was a rough campaign for him on both sides of the puck, with his 0.64 points per game checking in as his worst offensive showing in seven years and his 50.1 xGF% at even strength running surprisingly mediocre despite over 60% of his zone starts coming in the offensive end.
He had a nice rebound campaign last season, though, erupting once again for 76 points (13 goals, 63 assists) in 78 games with a +13 rating. Hedman has also stayed relatively healthy as he ages, never missing more than six games in a season for the past four years. That’s a good sign for their highest-paid blue liner, who will be relied upon heavily next season to anchor a new-look defense that’s seen Ryan McDonagh re-acquired after two years away and Mikhail Sergachev swapped for J.J. Moser in a larger deal with Utah.
It’s the second big-money move from the Lightning in the past two days. They found Stamkos’ pricier but younger replacement, acquiring top free agent left wing Jake Guentzel‘s signing rights from the Hurricanes and promptly inking him to a seven-year deal worth $9MM per season. Clearly, GM Julien BriseBois has no intention of letting the Bolts slip out of championship contention anytime soon, doing well to replenish their roster this past week with younger and, in some cases, more cost-effective talent. But keeping Hedman around was always a priority, too, and he becomes the overwhelming favorite to succeed Stamkos as captain this season.
Hedman’s marginal increase on his current deal means the move doesn’t have much of an impact on their long-term salary cap picture. They do still have one big-ticket item to check off their list this summer, though. Moser remains an unsigned RFA, and they’d surely prefer to get him inked to a new deal before he can file for arbitration. It shouldn’t be too big of a hassle, as the Lightning still have $6.65MM in projected cap space remaining with five open roster spots, per CapFriendly.
With Sergachev out and McDonagh and Moser in, Hedman joins Erik Černák as the only Tampa defenseman signed past 2025-26. They have considerably more long-term stability at forward, with Guentzel, Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel and Brayden Point all locked up through the end of the decade.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
NHL 2024 Free Agency: Day 1 Recap
Today was a ridiculously busy first day of NHL free agency – in fact, it’s the busiest of all time. With over 120 signings, today marked the first day in league history where more than $1B in total contract value was doled out, per CapFriendly. Most of our Top 50 UFAs are already off the board since the signing period officially began at 11:00 am CT, although many were reported in principle prior to the technical start of the new league year.
There was some notable action on the trade market, too, with a pair of deals to cap off a busy lead-up weekend of swaps.
Listed below are all the notable one-way free agent agreements, contract extensions, trades, and other notable news items from the first day of free agency.
Notable UFA signings
Note: Some of these salary figures may include options, incentives, or non-guaranteed money.
- Sam Reinhart, Panthers agree to eight-year, $69MM contract. (signed at the June 30 11:00 pm CT deadline)
- Jake Guentzel, Lightning agree to seven-year, $63MM contract.
- Elias Lindholm, Bruins agree to seven-year, $54.25MM contract.
- Brandon Montour, Kraken agree to seven-year, $50MM contract.
- Brady Skjei, Predators agree to seven-year, $49MM contract.
- Chandler Stephenson, Kraken agree to seven-year, $43.75MM contract.
- Jake DeBrusk, Canucks agree to seven-year, $38.5MM contract.
- Matt Roy, Capitals agree to six-year, $34.5MM contract.
- Brett Pesce, Devils agree to six-year, $33MM contract.
- Steven Stamkos, Predators agree to four-year, $32MM contract.
- Nikita Zadorov, Bruins agree to six-year, $30MM contract.
- Jonathan Marchessault, Predators agree to five-year, $27.5MM contract.
- Sean Monahan, Blue Jackets agree to five-year, $27.5MM contract.
- Chris Tanev, Maple Leafs agree to six-year, $27MM contract.
- Tyler Toffoli, Sharks agree to four-year, $24MM contract.
- Tyler Bertuzzi, Blackhawks agree to four-year, $22MM contract.
- Sean Walker, Hurricanes agree to five-year, $18MM contract.
- Teuvo Teräväinen, Blackhawks agree to three-year, $16.2MM contract.
- Joel Edmundson, Kings agree to four-year, $15.4MM contract.
- Anthony Duclair, Islanders agree to four-year, $14MM contract.
- Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Maple Leafs agree to four-year, $14MM contract.
- Yakov Trenin, Wild agree to four-year, $14MM contract.
- Brenden Dillon, Devils agree to three-year, $12MM contract.
- William Carrier, Hurricanes agree to six-year, $12MM contract.
- Alexandre Carrier, Predators agree to three-year, $11.25MM contract.
- Warren Foegele, Kings agree to three-year, $10.5MM contract.
- Alexander Wennberg, Sharks agree to two-year, $10MM contract.
- Shayne Gostisbehere, Hurricanes agree to three-year, $9.6MM contract.
- Jordan Martinook, Hurricanes agree to three-year, $9.15MM contract.
- Stefan Noesen, Devils agree to three-year, $8.25MM contract.
- Viktor Arvidsson, Oilers agree to two-year, $8MM contract.
- David Perron, Senators agree to two-year, $8MM contract.
- Michael Amadio, Senators agree to three-year, $7.8MM contract.
- T.J. Brodie, Blackhawks agree to two-year, $7.5MM contract.
- Mathew Dumba, Stars agree to two-year, $7.5MM contract.
- Laurent Brossoit, Blackhawks agree to two-year, $6.6MM contract.
- Ilya Lyubushkin, Stars agree to two-year, $6.5MM contract.
- Adam Henrique, Oilers agree to two-year, $6MM contract.
- Jason Zucker, Sabres agree to one-year, $5MM contract.
- Anthony Stolarz, Maple Leafs agree to two-year, $5MM contract.
- Cam Talbot, Red Wings agree to two-year, $5MM contract.
- Dmitry Kulikov, Panthers agree to four-year, $4.6MM contract.
- Danton Heinen, Canucks agree to two-year, $4.5MM contract.
- Mattias Janmark, Oilers agree to three-year, $4.35MM contract.
- Alec Martinez, Blackhawks agree to one-year, $4MM contract.
- Vincent Desharnais, Canucks agree to two-year, $4MM contract.
- Erik Gustafsson, Red Wings agree to two-year, $4MM contract.
- Sam Lafferty, Sabres agree to two-year, $4MM contract.
- Ryan Lomberg, Flames agree to two-year, $4MM contract.
- Kevin Stenlund, Utah agree to two-year, $4MM contract.
- Brandon Duhaime, Capitals agree to two-year, $3.7MM contract.
- Blake Lizotte, Penguins agree to two-year, $3.7MM contract.
- Pavel Dorofeyev, Golden Knights agree to two-year, $3.67MM contract.
- Anthony Mantha, Flames agree to one-year, $3.5MM contract.
- Jake Bean, Flames agree to two-year, $3.5MM contract.
- Ian Cole, Utah agree to one-year, $3.1MM contract.
- Matt Duchene, Stars agree to one-year, $3MM contract.
- Jeff Skinner, Oilers agree to one-year, $3MM contract.
- Jani Hakanpää, Maple Leafs agree to two-year, $3MM contract.
- Colin Miller, Jets agree to two-year, $3MM contract.
- Kiefer Sherwood, Canucks agree to two-year, $3MM contract.
- Scott Wedgewood, Predators agree to two-year, $3MM contract.
- Josh Brown, Oilers agree to three-year, $3MM contract.
- Sam Carrick, Rangers agree to three-year, $3MM contract.
- Casey DeSmith, Stars agree to three-year, $3MM contract.
- Matt Grzelcyk, Penguins agree to one-year, $2.75MM contract.
- Zemgus Girgensons, Lightning agree to three-year, $2.55MM contract.
- Jonathan Drouin, Avalanche agree to one-year, $2.5MM contract.
- Max Jones, Bruins agree to two-year, $2MM contract.
- Ilya Samsonov, Golden Knights agree to one-year, $1.8MM contract.
- A.J. Greer, Panthers agree to two-year, $1.7MM contract.
- Eric Comrie, Jets agree to two-year, $1.65MM contract.
- Parker Kelly, Avalanche agree to two-year, $1.65MM contract.
- Kaedan Korczak, Golden Knights agree to two-year, $1.65MM contract.
- Joey Anderson, Blackhawks agree to two-year, $1.6MM contract.
- Troy Stecher, Oilers agree to two-year, $1.575MM contract.
- Tanner Laczynski, Golden Knights agree to two-year, $1.55MM contract.
- Jeff Malott, Kings agree to two-year, $1.55MM contract.
- Nicolas Aubé-Kubel, Sabres agree to one-year, $1.5MM contract.
- Derek Forbort, Canucks agree to one-year, $1.5MM contract.
- Corey Perry, Oilers agree to one-year, $1.4MM contract.
- Pat Maroon, Blackhawks agree to one-year, $1.3MM contract.
- Anthony Beauvillier, Penguins agree to one-year, $1.25MM contract.
- Nils Lundkvist, Stars agree to one-year, $1.25MM contract.
- Mike Reilly, Islanders agree to one-year, $1.25MM contract.
- Christian Fischer, Red Wings agree to one-year, $1.125MM contract.
- Urho Vaakanainen, Ducks agree to one-year, $1.1MM contract.
- Brett Leason, Ducks agree to one-year, $1.05MM contract.
- Connor Brown, Oilers agree to one-year, $1MM contract.
- Erik Johnson, Flyers agree to one-year, $1MM contract.
- Kaapo Kähkönen, Jets agree to one-year, $1MM contract.
- Kasperi Kapanen, Blues agree to one-year, $1MM contract.
- Taylor Raddysh, Capitals agree to one-year, $1MM contract.
- Brendan Smith, Stars agree to one-year, $1MM contract.
- Craig Smith, Blackhawks agree to one-year, $1MM contract.
- Eric Robinson, Hurricanes agree to one-year, $950K contract.
- Jacob Bryson, Sabres agree to one-year, $900K contract.
- Matt Murray, Maple Leafs agree to one-year, $875K contract.
- Noah Gregor, Senators agree to one-year, $850K contract.
- Pheonix Copley, Kings agree to one-year, $825K contract.
- Dennis Gilbert, Sabres agree to one-year, $825K contract.
- Calvin de Haan, Avalanche agree to one-year, $800K contract.
- Trevor Lewis, Kings agree to one-year, $800K contract.
- Alex Barré-Boulet, Canadiens agree to one-year, $775K contract.
- Emil Bemström, Penguins agree to one-year, $775K contract.
- Jesper Boqvist, Panthers agree to one-year, $775K contract.
- Jack Campbell, Red Wings agree to one-year, $775K contract.
- Tyson Jost, Hurricanes agree to one-year, $775K contract.
- William Lagesson, Red Wings agree to one-year, $775K contract.
- Ben Meyers, Kraken agree to one-year, $775K contract.
- Tomáš Nosek, Panthers agree to one-year, $775K contract.
Contract extensions
- Juuse Saros, Predators agree to eight-year, $61.92MM extension.
- Juraj Slafkovsky, Canadiens agree to eight-year, $60.8MM extension.
- Jaccob Slavin, Hurricanes agree to eight-year, $51.69MM extension.
- Yegor Sharangovich, Flames agree to five-year, $28.75MM extension.
- Jacob Middleton, Wild agree to four-year, $17.4MM extension.
- Joseph Woll, Maple Leafs agree to three-year, $10.98MM extension.
- Garnet Hathaway, Flyers agree to two-year, $4.8MM extension.
- Connor McMichael, Capitals agree to two-year, $4.2MM extension.
Trades
- Senators trade Jakob Chychrun to Capitals in exchange for Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round pick.
- Penguins trade Reilly Smith (25% retained) to Rangers in exchange for a conditional 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick.
Other notable headlines
- NHL reinstates former Blackhawks executives/coaches Stan Bowman, Al MacIsaac and Joel Quenneville.
- Flyers officially sign top prospect Matvei Michkov to three-year, entry-level contract.
After yesterday’s craziness, only four players remain on our Top 50 UFAs list: Vladimir Tarasenko, Joe Pavelski, Jack Roslovic and Daniel Sprong.