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Minor Free Agent Signings: Metropolitan Division

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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)

Devils Sign Stefan Noesen, Mike Hardman

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ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports the New Jersey Devils have signed forward Stefan Noesen to a three-year, $8.25MM contract. It will be Noesen’s second stint with the Devils organization. They’ve also signed 25-year-old depth forward Mike Hardman to a two-year, two-way deal worth $775K NHL/$350K AHL annually, per PuckPedia.

Noesen spent parts of three seasons with New Jersey the first time around but aside from a good showing in 2017-18, he was largely limited to a depth role.  That continued for a few seasons after he moved on to the point where he was primarily a full-time AHL player, not an NHL player.

However, after a dominant showing with AHL Chicago in 2021-22, Noesen got a full-time opportunity with the Hurricanes the following year.  He certainly made the most of it, picking up 13 goals and 23 assists in 78 games.  The 31-year-old then followed it up with a similar showing last year, tallying 14 goals and 23 helpers in 81 contests despite averaging less than 12 minutes a game of ice time.

The follow-up year was clearly enough to show potential suitors that his late breakout wasn’t a one-off but was rather a sign of things to come, giving him a strong enough market to get more than a 300% increase in salary.  Noesen will likely have a similar role with the Devils as he did in Carolina, playing in their bottom six at five-on-five with the hopes that he can provide some consistent depth scoring.

As for Hardman, last season was the first time in his four-year professional career that he didn’t see any NHL action.  The 25-year-old played exclusively with AHL Rockford, picking up 22 goals and 15 assists in 63 games, all career-highs.  Hardman has 37 career NHL appearances under his belt with Chicago where he has a goal and four assists.  He’s likely earmarked to play with AHL Utica next season.

Devils Sign Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon

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10:44 a.m.: It’s a three-year deal for Dillon, CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal reports. NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky confirms it carries a $4MM cap hit.

9:17 a.m.: The Devils are expected to agree to terms on a deal for UFA defenseman Brett Pesce, according to Chris Johnston of The Athletic, who reports that the top-four stalwart will ink a six-year, $33MM contract ($5.5MM cap hit). They’re also expected to add veteran left-shot blue liner Brenden Dillon, reports ESPN’s Kevin Weekes.

There had been rumblings leading up to free agency that Pesce was the Devils’ top target on the back end, and it appears they’re getting their man. It was clear they were gearing up for a move, especially on the right side, after they traded away John Marino and his $4.4MM cap hit to Utah on Saturday. The Maple Leafs and Predators were also expected to be top suitors for Pesce, but the former likely took themselves out of the picture after acquiring the signing rights to Chris Tanev from the Stars.

Pesce, 29, has been a top-four fixture for the Hurricanes for nearly a decade. The 2013 third-round pick made his first splash in the NHL just two years later, spending one season in a bottom-pairing role for Carolina before consistently establishing himself as a 20-minute-muncher in his sophomore campaign. Pesce has finished in the top 20 in Norris Trophy voting on two occasions (2019 and 2021) and has firmly established himself as one of the steadier shutdown threats in the league.

He’s coming off somewhat of a down year offensively with 13 points in 70 games, but also received his lowest usage (20:17 per game) since 2019, with the Canes running one of the deepest defenses in the league. In New Jersey, he replaces Marino as the primary right-shot option behind Dougie Hamilton. He’ll anchor second-pairing minutes in the Garden State, potentially alongside 2024 Calder Trophy finalist Luke Hughes.

The Devils now also look to land a solid veteran presence in Dillon, although it’s not clear how long he’ll stick around with no contract terms reported yet. Now 33, Dillon had spent the last three seasons with the Jets, where he accumulated 63 points and a +38 rating in 238 games (with 235 PIMs to boot). He’s not quite the minute-muncher Pesce is, but still has mobility into top-four roles for the time being. with Jonas Siegenthaler and second-year blue liner Simon Nemec also in the picture, the Devils’ defense for next season is likely now set. They also added additional depth in a trade with the Canadiens yesterday, picking up Johnathan Kovacevic.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Free Agent Rumors: Stamkos, Bennett, Verhaeghe, Stolarz, Ekman-Larsson, Grzelcyk, Martinez

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The Devils are in the market for a top-six forward today, and they may end up as one of the finalists for Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, per ESPN’s Kevin Weekes.

They’ll be one of many teams making Stamkos’ agent’s phone ring off the hook today. TSN’s Bob McKenzie also expects the Ducks, Hurricanes, Predators and Red Wings to make aggressive pushes for the future Hall-of-Fame forward.

A return to Tampa Bay is extremely unlikely for Stamkos, whose 555 career goals and 1,082 games played have all come in a Lightning uniform. They weren’t close to an extension as of last weekend, and their signing of top UFA left winger Jake Guentzel to a seven-year, $63MM deal this morning has all but completely boxed him out.

More from around the Eastern Conference amid an already busy morning:

  • The Panthers are working hard on extensions for forwards Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe as they become eligible to sign at 11 a.m. CT today, sources tell David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. They’ve already gotten one big piece of business done today by keeping Sam Reinhart away from the open market on an eight-year, $69MM deal, but Bennett and Verhaeghe are two crucial pieces of their top-six forward group that remain unsigned past next season. It’s unclear what these deals may look like, but Reinhart taking a considerable discount on market value to remain in South Florida is surely a good indicator that Panthers GM Bill Zito can get them locked into deals that won’t break the bank.
  • TSN’s Darren Dreger adds the Panthers are also trying to re-sign UFA netminder Anthony Stolarz, but they have some competition. The Blackhawks and Maple Leafs are also in the mix for the veteran’s services. While a career backup, he’s one of the best options on the market in a UFA class devoid of starters. He was electric when used in Florida last year, posting a .925 SV% and 2.03 GAA in 27 appearances.
  • After making Chris Tanev’s six-year deal official, expect the Leafs to add another veteran blue liner in Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Dreger says. OEL is coming off a Stanley Cup win in Florida after putting up 32 points in 80 regular-season games, averaging 18:24 per night. He’d likely anchor a third pairing in Toronto on the left side behind Morgan Rielly and Jake McCabe.
  • The Penguins are among the teams linked to defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, The Athletic’s Josh Yohe reports. Grzelcyk is likely on his way out of Boston after spending the entirety of his eight-year, 445-game career there. He had 11 points and a +13 rating in 63 games last season while logging 17:36 per night.
  • Alec Martinez could continue his NHL career with the Blackhawks on a one-year deal, per TSN’s Bob McKenzie. The three-time Cup winner fell down the Golden Knights’ depth chart last year, limited to 55 games due to injuries and healthy scratches. He still managed 17 points, though, his most offense in three years, but had a -2 rating while averaging 19:03 per game.

Jonathan Marchessault To Hit Open Market

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It appears the Jonathan Marchessault era in Vegas is over. The Golden Knights’ 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner didn’t agree to an extension as of last night and is set to find a new home in free agency today, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports.

Getting a Marchessault extension done in Vegas was always going to be a difficult proposition without a significant cap-clearing move, something that hasn’t happened to date. He’s likely to command upward of $6MM annually on the open market, a figure that would have swallowed up all of the Golden Knights’ remaining space, even with goaltender Robin Lehner’s $5MM cap hit projected to remain on long-term injured reserve next season.

Among the teams expected to express interest in the 33-year-old today include the Devils, reports The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta. They’re on the hunt for a top-six winger, especially after parting ways with prospect Alexander Holtz via trade to the Golden Knights and with Dawson Mercer and Ondřej Palát coming off underwhelming seasons.

Both Vegas and Marchessault were intent on a reunion, but today’s news isn’t the most surprising. LeBrun had indicated last week that Marchessault was preparing to move on from Sin City without an agreement in close reach.

The Québec native immediately becomes one of the most attractive goal-scoring options on the market and will almost certainly have a new home within hours. He’s coming off a career-high 42 goals for Vegas while also playing in all 82 games for the second time in his career. He added 27 assists for 69 points, six short of his career-high of 75 set with the Knights back in 2017-18. Some regression should be expected, though, as he shot 4.2% higher than his career average of 11.6% last year.

Devils Acquire Johnathan Kovacevic

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The New Jersey Devils have acquired defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic from the Montreal Canadiens in return for a conditional 2026 fourth-round pick, per Amanda Stein of NHL.com. Both the Canadiens and Devils have confirmed the move.

The conditions on the draft pick have already been made public, as the Devils will send the best of the three fourth-round picks they currently own in the 2026 NHL Draft. New Jersey owns their fourth-round pick, the Winnipeg Jets’ fourth-round pick, and the Dallas Stars’ fourth-round pick for that draft.

It’s a low-risk move for the Devils as they’ve spent the last 48 hours re-working their defensive core. The team already shipped out defenseman John Marino to the Utah Hockey Club yesterday morning, and have been heavily linked to defensemen Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon heading into tomorrow’s action. By adding to a core group of Dougie Hamilton, Simon Nemec, and Luke Hughes, and factoring in new goaltender Jacob Markstrom, New Jersey is looking to improve upon their 3.43 GA/G average during the 2023-24 NHL season.

As the Canadiens look to graduate several prospects to the majors, Kovacevic became one of the odd men out even though he is set to make $766K for the 2024-25 NHL season. After being claimed from the Jets organization shortly before the 2022-23 NHL season, Kovacevic quickly became a flexible defenseman in Montreal. Effectively averaging 17 minutes of ice time per night during his tenure with the Original Six organization, Kovacevic scored nine goals and 28 points in 139 games while averaging an on-ice save percentage of 90.6%

Kovacevic is likely destined for a bottom-six role in New Jersey regardless of how much the team shakes up their defensive core. However, if the defensive core succumbs to injury for a second straight season, Kovacevic could always move up the depth chart.

Devils Expected To Pursue Brenden Dillon

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  • With the New Jersey Devils already expected to make a hard run at free-agent defenseman Brett Pesce over the next couple of days, there is another defenseman that the team will be monitoring. Regardless of the team’s negotiations with Pesce, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports the team is also prepared to extend an offer to Brenden Dillon. By moving out defenseman John Marino earlier today in a trade with the Utah Hockey Club, the Devils will have the roster spots and cap flexibility to bring both defensemen into the organization.
  • Back in New Jersey, the Devils will open up an additional spot on defense in the next few days as the organization is not expected to extend a contract offer to defenseman Brendan Smith (X Link). Smith has spent the last two years in the Garden State and recently concluded one of the more productive seasons of his career as he scored five goals and 15 points in 63 games while averaging 16:06 of ice time per night.

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Golden Knights Trade For Alexander Holtz, Akira Schmid

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The Vegas Golden Knights have acquired goaltender Akira Schmid and forward Alexander Holtz from the New Jersey Devils, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). In return, New Jersey has received forward Paul Cotter and Vegas’ 2025 third-round pick.

This trade provides Vegas a quick fill-in for Logan Thompson after they dealt him to the Washington Capitals for two picks. Thompson served as Vegas’ starter in the wake of injuries to Adin Hill last season, posting 25 wins and a .908 save percentage in 46 starts. It was a strong year for Thompson that warrants another shot at opportunity. He’ll search for that in Washington, while Vegas brings in Schmid, 24, who’s filled a much more typical backup role with the Devils. He posted a measly five wins and .895 save percentage this year, but was much more effective as a rookie last season, when he managed nine wins and a .922 save percentage in 18 games. Schmid is still in need of a bigger sample size, but his career .899 save percentage through 43 games suggests a modest NHL upside.

The Golden Knights will get to test that upside alongside the surprising addition of top young forward Alexander Holtz. Previously the seventh-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Holtz struggled to earn consistent ice time under previous Devils head coach Lindy Ruff. Even then, Holtz found his way to good effect, recording 16 goals and 28 points while playing in all 82 games this season. Holtz seemed rife with upside this season, even amidst an ever-changing role. Consistency in the Vegas top-six could lead to a major pay-off, though Holtz will have to fight with Pavel Dorofeyev for the role of young sniper atop the Vegas depth charts.

Meanwhile, New Jersey receives the projectable role of Cotter. He stepped as Vegas’ full-time fourth-line centerman this year, recording 25 points and 41 penalty minutes through 76 games. It was his second full-year on an NHL roster, having recorded 13 goals and 18 points in 55 games last year. Cotter doesn’t inspire too much down the lineup, though he should be a responsible addition to New Jersey’s bottom lines.

Utah Hockey Club Acquires John Marino

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The Utah Hockey Club has traded for defenseman John Marino and Pick 153 in the 2024 NHL Draft from the New Jersey Devils, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (Twitter link). In return, the Devils receive Pick 49 and the Edmonton Oilers’ 2025 second-round pick. LeBrun mentions that this opens space for the Devils to sign Brett Pesce when free agency opens on Monday.

Rumors about Marino’s availability kicked into high gear in the week ahead of the draft, as New Jersey became tied to Pesce. It seems that is the path the team will head down, now boasting $19.654MM in cap space, after moving Marino’s $4.4MM bill. That should be plenty enough to beckon Pesce away from Carolina, where he’s so far spent his entire career, though New Jersey will also have to keep their seven pending free agents in mind. That list is headlined by Dawson Mercer, who established a dominant role in the team’s top-six over the course of his entry-level contract. He should be due for a substantial pay raise, though once Mercer is re-signed New Jersey will have their core of Mercer, Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, and Dougie Hamilton signed for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, Marino will join Mikhail Sergachev as Utah’s newest defenders – and may even play next to the former Lightning on the team’s top line. Marino recorded four goals and 25 points in 75 games this season, falling just one point shy of the career-high he set in 56 games as a rookie. He’s proven reliable through his tenure with the Devils, after joining the team in July of 2022. New Jersey traded Ty Smith and a 2023 third-round pick to Pittsburgh for Marino – since deploying him in a consistent and reliable second-pair role. But Marino seems to have upside left to give, and could find his stride on a Utah blue-line with plenty of space.

Canucks Won’t Re-Sign Nikita Zadorov, Linked To John Marino

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The Canucks won’t be agreeing to an extension for UFA defenseman Nikita Zadorov, general manager Patrik Allvin confirmed (via Patrick Johnston of The Province and The Vancouver Sun). He’ll be one of the more sought-after defense options available when the free agent market opens Monday.

It may not take them very long to find his replacement, though. The Devils are “actively looking to move” right-shot stalwart John Marino, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports. He adds Vancouver has been in the mix for his services, specifically as a fallback option if they couldn’t come to terms on a new deal for Zadorov.

We had our first indication that Zadorov may be heading out the door when Allvin moved to get Tyler Myers locked into a three-year, $3MM AAV extension last night. His re-signing, along with the retention of pending RFA Filip Hronek earlier in the month, meant four of the Canucks’ spots on defense next season were firmly accounted for. Noah Juulsen remains an option after skating in 54 games last year, and depth blue liner Mark Friedman will be back in the rotation after signing a one-way extension over a week ago.

Vancouver parted ways with a third-round and fifth-round pick to get Zadorov from the Flames back in November, marking one of the first truly consequential in-season trades. This generation’s “Big Z” was a natural fit in a bottom-four role, putting up 14 points and 102 PIMs in 54 games as a Canuck while seeing 17:04 of ice time per contest. The playoffs were where Zadorov made his killing this year, though, as the normally stay-at-home defenseman became a factor on the scoresheet with four goals and eight points in 13 games.

Where he’ll land is anyone’s guess at this stage, but he’ll have plenty of suitors and won’t take long to find his next home. He’s expected to seek a six-year, $36MM pact ($6MM AAV), per a report from Seravalli last month, although that’s likely too rich for anyone’s blood, given he doesn’t have a consistent history of top-four minutes. He should still be able to cash in significantly with his value at its peak, though, and could land a longer-term deal closer to $5MM per season.

The Canucks may well have to give up significant assets to acquire Marino as his replacement, but he checks in at a much more attractive $4.4MM cap hit for three more seasons compared to what Zadorov was asking for. Marino is also two years younger and has averaged at least 20 minutes per game since breaking into the league with the Penguins five years ago, consistently seeing tougher usage and heavier penalty-kill responsibilities.

Marino served as the Devils’ de facto top right-shot defender for most of last season, with Dougie Hamilton missing all but 20 games with a pectoral injury. He checked in about expected offensively, recording four goals and 25 points in 81 games but did have a career-worst -6 rating. That was certainly exacerbated by poor play from New Jersey’s rotating cast of goaltenders, though, as he still managed to control 51.1% of shot attempts at even strength, roughly in line with his career average.

It’s worth noting Marino has an eight-team no-trade list that goes into effect on July 1. It would be odd to see the reigning Pacific Division winners hold a spot on his NTC, but in any event, it’s likely a reason why Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald is trying so hard to get him moved before free agency opens. They’re looking to upgrade their second-pair right-shot man behind Hamilton, with soon-to-be-former Hurricane Brett Pesce a person of interest.

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