Patrik Berglund Signs In Sweden
After considering a return to North America, former Buffalo Sabres forward Patrik Berglund will be staying in Sweden. He has signed a one-year contract with Djurgardens in the SHL.
Berglund, 31, famously walked away from more than $10MM on his final contract with the Sabres in 2018 due to mental health issues, leaving the team suddenly. He had played just 23 games for Buffalo since being included in the return for Ryan O’Reilly, and scored just four times during his time there. The three remaining seasons on his contract were terminated, and Berglund disappeared from the public eye for some time.
While he recently started exploring options to return, a year in Sweden to prove he is dedicated and productive again might have to be the first step. Once a consistent third-line center for the St. Louis Blues, Berglund is now several years removed from his last 20 goal season.
Free Agent Frenzy 2019: Day 1 Signings By Team
Here are all of the signings of day one of the free agent frenzy, broken down by team, with a link to the individual stories:
Anaheim Ducks:
(none)
Arizona Coyotes:
F Beau Bennett – One year, $700K (link)
F Andy Miele – Two years, $1.4MM (link)
D Aaron Ness – Two years, $1.4MM (link)
G Ivan Posvetov – Three years, $2.775MM (link)*
Boston Bruins:
F Ryan Fitzgerald – One year, $700K (link)
F Brendan Gaunce – One year, $700K (link)
G Maxime Lagace – One year, $700K (link)
F Brett Ritchie – One year, $1MM (link)
F Par Lindholm – Two years, $1.7MM (link)
D Connor Clifton – Three years, $3MM (link)
Buffalo Sabres:
F Curtis Lazar – One year, $700K (link)
D John Gilmour – One year, $700K (link)
G Andrew Hammond – One year, $700K (link)
F Jean-Sebastien Dea – Two years, $1.4MM (link)
Calgary Flames:
F Byron Froese – One year, $700K (link)
D Brandon Davidson – One year, $700K (link)
G Cam Talbot – One year, $2.75MM (link)
Carolina Hurricanes:
G Petr Mrazek – Two years, $6.25MM (link)
Chicago Blackhawks:
F David Kampf – Two years, $2MM (link)
F Ryan Carpenter – Three years, $3MM (link)
G Robin Lehner – One year, $5MM (link)
Colorado Avalanche:
F Jayson Megna – One year, $700K (link)
F Colin Wilson – One year, $2.6MM (link)
F Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – Two years, $3.6MM (link)
F Joonas Donskoi – Four years, $15.6MM (link)
Columbus Blue Jackets:
G Joonas Korpisalo – One year, $1.15MM (link)
D Ryan Muray – Two years, $9.2MM (link)
F Gustav Nyquist – Four years, $22MM (link)
Dallas Stars:
D Reece Scarlett – One year, $700K (link)
G Landon Bow – One year, $700K (link)
F Tanner Kero – Two years, $1.4MM (link)
D Andrej Sekera – One year, $1.5MM + $500K performance bonuses (link)
F Corey Perry – One year, $1.5MM + $1.75MM performance bonuses (link)
F Joe Pavelski – Three years, $21MM (link)
Detroit Red Wings:
G Calvin Pickard – Two years, $1.5MM (link)
D Patrik Nemeth – Two years, $6MM (link)
F Valtteri Filppula – Two years, $6MM (link)
Edmonton Oilers:
F Gaetan Haas – One year, $925K* (link)
F Tomas Jurco – One year, $750K (link)
F Markus Granlund – One year, $1.3MM (link)
G Mike Smith – One year, $2MM (link)
F Jujhar Khaira – Two years, $2.4MM (link)
F Alex Chiasson – Two years, $4.3MM (link)
Florida Panthers:
D Ethan Prow – Two years, $1.4MM (link)
D Tommy Cross – Two years, $1.45MM (link)
F Noel Acciari – Three years, $5MM (link)
F Brett Connolly – Four years, $13MM (link)
D Anton Stralman – Three years, $16.5MM (link)
G Sergei Bobrovsky – Seven years, $70MM (link)
Los Angeles Kings:
F Martin Frk – One year, $700K (link)
D Joakim Ryan – One year, $725K (link)
Minnesota Wild:
F Luke Johnson – Two years, $1.4MM (link)
F Gabriel Dumont – Two years, $1.4MM (link)
F Ryan Hartman – Two years, $3.9MM (link)
F Mats Zuccarello – Five years, $30MM (link)
Montreal Canadiens:
F Riley Barber – One year, $700K (link)
G Keith Kinkaid – One year, $1.75MM (link)
F Sebastian Aho – Five years, $42.27MM -OFFER SHEET- (link)
Nashville Predators:
F Daniel Carr – One year, $700K (link)
F Matt Duchene – Seven years, $56MM (link)
New Jersey Devils:
D Dakota Mermis – One year, $700K (link)
F Ben Street – One year, $750K (link)
D Matt Tennyson – Two years, $1.4MM (link)
F Wayne Simmonds – One year, $5MM (link)
New York Islanders:
G Semyon Varlamov – Four years, $20MM (link)
F Anders Lee – Seven years, $49MM (link)
New York Rangers:
F Greg McKegg – Terms not disclosed (link)
F Daniel O’Regan – Terms not disclosed (link)
F Artemi Panarin – Seven years, $81.5MM (link)
Ottawa Senators:
F Jordan Szwarz – One year, $800K (link)
F Tyler Ennis – One year, $800K (link)
D Ron Hainsey – One year, $3.5MM (link)
Philadelphia Flyers:
F Kurtis Gabriel – One year, $700K (link)
F Kyle Criscuolo – One year, $700K (link)
G Jean-Francois Berube – One year, $700K (link)
D Tyler Wotherspoon – Two years, $1.4MM (link)
D Chris Bigras – Two years, $1.4MM (link)
D Nate Prosser – Two years, $1.4MM (link)
D Andy Welinski – One year, $750K (link)
F Andy Andreoff – Two years, $1.5MM (link)
Pittsburgh Penguins:
F Andrew Agozzino – Two years, $1.4MM (link)
D David Warsofsky – Two years, $1.4MM (link)
F Brandon Tanev – Six years, $21MM (link)
San Jose Sharks:
D Tim Heed – One year, $960K (link)
F Timo Meier – Four years, $24MM (link)
St. Louis Blues:
F Evan Polei – Two years, $1.85MM (link)*
F Michael Vecchione – One year, $700K (link)
F Nick Lappin – One year, $700K (link)
D Jake Dotchin – One year, $700K (link)
D Derrick Pouliot – One year, $700K (link)
F Nathan Walker – Two years, $1.4MM (link)
F Sammy Blais – One year, $850K (link)
Tampa Bay Lightning:
F Chris Mueller – One year, $700K (link)
G Spencer Martin – One year, $700K (link)
G Scott Wedgewood – On year, $700K (link)
D/F Luke Witkowski – Two years, $1.4MM (link)
D Luke Schenn – One year, $700K (link)
G Curtis McElhinney – Two years, $2.6MM (link)
Toronto Maple Leafs:
F Jason Spezza – One year, $700K (link)
D Kevin Gravel – One year, $700K (link)
F Nick Shore – One year, $750K (link)
F Kenny Agostino – Two years, $1.4MM (link)
Vancouver Canucks:
F Tyler Graovac – One year, $700K (link)
G Zane McIntyre – One year, $700K (link)
D Oscar Fantenberg – One year, $850K (link)
D Jordie Benn – Two years, $4MM (link)
D Tyler Myers – Five years, $30MM (link)
Vegas Golden Knights:
D Jaycob Megna – One year, $700K (link)
D Brett Lernout – One year, $700K (link)
F Tyrell Goulbourne – Two years, $1.4MM (link)
F Patrick Brown – Two years, $1.4MM (link)
F Tomas Nosek – One year, $1MM (link)
F Brandon Pirri – Two years, $1.55MM (link)
Washington Capitals:
F Philippe Maillet – Two years, $1.4MM (link)
G Vitek Vanecek – Three years, $2.15MM (link)
F Brendan Leipsic – One year, $700K (link)
F Garnet Hathaway – Four years, $6MM (link)
F Richard Panik – Four years, $11MM (link)
Winnipeg Jets:
D Cameron Schilling – One year, $700K (link)
D Nathan Beaulieu – One year, $1MM (link)
*Indicates entry-level contract
Indicates two-way contract
Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Tyson Barrie
The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired Tyson Barrie, Alexander Kerfoot and a 2020 sixth-round pick from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Nazem Kadri, Calle Rosen and a 2020 third-round selection. The Avalanche will also be retaining 50% of Barrie’s contract, which results in the Maple Leafs only being responsible for a $2.75MM cap hit for the offensive defenseman.
For some time now the Maple Leafs have been looking for an upgrade on the right side of their blue line, and will get it in Barrie who is coming off another incredible offensive season. The 27-year old had 14 goals and 59 points for the Avalanche and has been one of the league’s top puck-movers since entering the league back in 2011-12. Through 484 career games, Barrie has 307 points and could form a solid one-two punch with Morgan Rielly who is also coming off a career-best 72-point season. The team now projects to have a brand new right side with Barrie joining Cody Ceci who was acquired from the Ottawa Senators earlier today.
The Leafs have actually cleared even more cap space with this deal for the time being, as Kadri had three years left on his contract and carried a $4.5MM hit. That may change quickly however as Kerfoot is a restricted free agent coming off consecutive 40+ point seasons after signing out of Harvard University. The 24-year old decided not to join the New Jersey Devils who originally drafted him and instead went to Colorado where he has enjoyed a healthy opportunity playing both center and wing. Kerfoot has recorded 31 of his 85 career points on the powerplay, but may not get quite the same chance to touch the puck in Toronto with the man advantage given their glut of talented forwards.
For Colorado, this deal is all about securing a legitimate second-line center to play behind Nathan MacKinnon. Though Kadri was limited to just 16 goals and 44 points last season with the Maple Leafs that was more about opportunity and usage than talent. The seventh-overall pick from 2009 had consecutive 32-goal seasons prior to Toronto’s signing of John Tavares which bumped him down in the lineup, and he should get close to that again if given the chance in Colorado. The fact that he is cost-controlled for three more seasons at a more than reasonable $4.5MM makes him an extremely valuable piece for the Avalanche who have added a fair amount of scoring prowess in the last few days.
The biggest reason Barrie was even available is the way the Avalanche have built out their blue line, with names like Cale Makar, Bowen Byram and Conor Timmins all looking like they will be real contributors next season. The Maple Leafs meanwhile will hope that they can maintain some level of depth down the middle with the signings they made today, adding Jason Spezza and Nick Shore to the mix. William Nylander and Kerfoot also have experience at center, while Auston Matthews and John Tavares will obviously dominate the playing time and matchups.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Anders Lee Returning To New York Islanders
The New York Islanders swung and missed on Artemi Panarin, but will get a pretty good consolation prize anyway. Captain Anders Lee has decided to re-sign with the team, inking a seven-year contract worth $49MM. Lee had a chance to test the market himself, but had always indicated he wanted to return to the Islanders. He’ll now take his place as the highest paid player on the team, with a cap hit of $7MM per season.
Lee, 28, has scored 102 goals over the last three seasons including 40 in 2017-18. The 6’3″ winger is a force in front of the net and can go on impressive streaks where he seems to score every night. While his offensive numbers dropped last season, his defensive game improved like almost everyone else under Barry Trotz and he was a huge part of the incredible improvement the Islanders experienced. Good possession numbers, even-strength production and physical play equal a very valuable player, and given his obvious leadership skills it seemed like a return was always in the cards.
Still, there was speculation about other teams reaching out to try and get their hands on Lee. After failing to sign him yesterday the Islanders could no longer offer him an eighth contract year, meaning those other teams may have been on the same footing theoretically. It’s obvious Lee never wanted to leave though, and actually announced that he was staying on his own Twitter immediately.
The Islanders have now re-signed a trio of key forwards over the last few months, inking Lee, Jordan Eberle and Brock Nelson to keep this group together. While they did lose Valtteri Filppula today in free agency and still don’t have a goaltender to pair with Thomas Greiss, the team is relatively unchanged from last season and should still be contenders in the Metropolitan Division. With just over $13.6MM in cap space, GM Lou Lamoriello still has some flexibility when it comes to improving his club, though there is an obvious lack of talent on the free agent market at this point.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Luke Witkowski Signs With Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are bringing back Luke Witkowski, after the hybrid forward/defenseman spent two years with the Detroit Red Wings. Witkowski has signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Lightning.
Witkowski, 29, was a sixth-round pick of the Lightning back in 2008 and joined their organization after four years at Western Michigan University. Known mostly for his physicality, he put up a whopping 204 penalty minutes in his first professional season. That physical play has never disappeared, and he has found a way to stay in the lineup even if it meant lining up at forward and defense in the same game.
With just ten points in 119 career games he won’t be making much of an offensive impact, but Witkowski will likely receive some playing time in the NHL next season just as he has in each of the last five. The two years will provide him with some stability, while he is also very familiar with the Syracuse Crunch from his time in the Tampa Bay development system.
Washington Capitals Sign Brendan Leipsic
The Washington Capitals have added another depth forward with a little upside, signing Brendan Leipsic to a one-year, one-way contract worth $700K. Leipsic split last season between the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings. The team has also signed minor league forward Philippe Maillet to a two-year, two-way contract worth $700K at the NHL level.
Leipsic, 25, has shown flashes of brilliance in the NHL but hasn’t quite been able to establish himself as a full-time player just yet. In 45 games with the Kings last season he recorded 18 points, but failed to receive a qualifying offer and became an unrestricted free agent. That’s not the first team that passed on him over the years, as the third-round pick has been traded twice, picked in the expansion draft and claimed off waivers over the years. In Washington he’ll try to show that he can be an everyday player, but his $700K deal can be buried in the minor leagues if the team feels he’s not ready to contribute.
Maillet meanwhile is a minor league addition that won’t be expected to contribute at the NHL level at all. The 26-year old forward went undrafted out of the QMJHL despite strong scoring numbers and actually went to the University of New Brunswick for four seasons. Signing a minor league deal with the Ontario Reign, he showed that had still been overlooked and actually registered 94 points in 140 games for the AHL club. This deal represents his first NHL contract and a reward for years of hard work.
Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Warsofsky, Agozzino
The Pittsburgh Penguins have inked a pair of depth players, signing David Warsofsky and Andrew Agozzino to two-year, two-way contracts. Both deals will carry an average annual value of $700K at the NHL level. The minor league players were teammates last season with the Colorado Eagles. Assistant GM Bill Guerin released a statement on the deals:
David and Andrew are two guys that are going to provide great depth for our organization. They are both leaders that can help mentor some of our younger players. If there are injuries or trades, you need guys like David and Andrew, who have both NHL and AHL experience, to be able to come in and contribute. We’re lucky to get two guys with great experience in this role, and expect both of them to push to make the NHL roster out of training camp.
Chicago Blackhawks Sign David Kampf
The Chicago Blackhawks have signed David Kampf to a two-year contract after failing to issue him a qualifying offer last week. Kampf technically became an unrestricted free agent, but was always expected to re-sign with the Blackhawks after a nice season in the NHL.
The 24-year old forward signed out of the Czech Republic in 2017 and quickly showed that he was in no need of seasoning in the minor leagues. He played 46 games with the Blackhawks in 2017-18 and came back as a regular last season. In 63 appearances he registered 19 points, but was relatively effective in a bottom-six center and penalty killing role. That’s likely where he’ll be used again next season, though it’s unclear exactly how the Blackhawks’ bottom-six will shake out now that Ryan Carpenter and Andrew Shaw have been acquired in recent days.
In fact, Chicago has only eight forwards in the entire organization on one-way contracts for next season, meaning there still could be a fair amount of change and competition in the lineup. Kampf will know he has the security of a two-year deal and will still be under team control when it expires in the summer of 2021.
Florida Panthers Trade James Reimer
July 1: The Panthers have officially bought out Darling.
June 30: The Florida Panthers have traded goaltender James Reimer to the Carolina Hurricanes. In return the Panthers will acquire a 2020 sixth-round pick and goaltender Scott Darling, who has been placed on waivers for the purpose of a contract buyout. After the recent retirement of Roberto Luongo this leaves the Panthers with just two minor league goaltenders under contract, likely opening the way for a free agent signing tomorrow. Sergei Bobrovsky is the speculative favorite, though nothing can be official until the free agent period opens.
Darling had two years remaining on his current deal, meaning a buyout will force the Panthers to pay him $4.73MM total over the next four years with the following cap hits:
- 2019-20: $1,233,333
- 2020-21: $2,333,333
- 2021-22: $1,183,333
- 2022-23: $1,183,333
Reimer meanwhile becomes the presumptive starting goaltender in Carolina for the time being, since they too are lacking in NHL experience at the position. Both Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney are set to become unrestricted free agents after failing to work out new contracts, leaving Reimer and one of Anton Forsberg or Alex Nedeljkovic as the tandem for next season. That is of course unless the Hurricanes go after another free agent, and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that the team is still interested in bringing back Mrazek or going after Semyon Varlamov.
The 31-year old Reimer struggled last season in Florida, posting just a .900 save percentage in 36 appearances and seeing his goals against average balloon to 3.09. That’s a far cry from the .920 mark he posted in his first season with the Panthers in 2016-17, one that made him look like the eventual successor to Luongo and a long-term option. That’s the goaltender the Hurricanes will hope they can get, one that carried an average Toronto Maple Leafs team to the playoffs in 2013 and even earned Hart Trophy votes. They’ve had success with ex-Maple Leafs before, as McElhinney played excellent after a waiver claim at the start of last season.
Carolina has been one of the more active teams on the trade market so far, making deals to acquire Patrick Marleau (who they then bought out), Erik Haula, Forsberg and Gustav Forsling, while sending Calvin de Haan and others out of town. The team found so much success in the second half of last season and the playoffs, but obviously aren’t content with waiting around for their team to take another run without changes.
The question in Florida now becomes whether they can officially land Bobrovsky—and perhaps his close friend and teammate Artemi Panarin. The team has more than $26MM in cap space to use without any high profile restricted free agents to get under contract. With a new head coach in Joel Quenneville and big moves expected in free agency, it is obvious that GM Dale Tallon is ready to compete for the Stanley Cup right now and will spend quite a bit of money to do it.
New York Rangers Sign McKegg, O’Regan
The New York Rangers have already locked up the top free agent on the market, and now they’ve signed some depth forwards as well. Greg McKegg and Daniel O’Regan have both agreed to terms with the Rangers.
While they won’t be bringing the same impact as Artemi Panarin, McKegg and O’Regan still represent two options for the Rangers to use at the bottom of the NHL lineup. McKegg especially has turned himself into a legitimate fourth-line player, suiting up 41 times for the Hurricanes last season and scoring 11 points. With so few players signed past this season for the Rangers, McKegg might find himself waiting for a trade to get a real opportunity but should see some playing time in the NHL. The 27-year old has 24 points in 132 career games split between the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Pittsburgh Penguins and Hurricanes.
O’Regan meanwhile was actually a relatively interesting prospect at one point for the San Jose Sharks and was part of the deal that landed them Evander Kane two seasons ago. A star at Boston University for four seasons, he jumped into the professional ranks in 2016 and dominated immediately, scoring 58 points in 63 games with the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL. He’s done well since then in minor league appearances, but can’t seem to carve himself out a role in the NHL. In New York he’ll have to fight for any opportunity he can get but could very well be ticketed for the Hartford Wolf Pack.