Blue Jackets, Sean Monahan Agree To Terms On Five-Year Deal
The Blue Jackets are signing center Sean Monahan to a five-year deal worth $5.5MM per season, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports. The team later made the deal official.
Monahan, 29, gets a solid chunk of stability after persevering through a multitude of injury-plagued campaigns and re-solidifying himself as a top-six center this season. After recording just 40 points in 90 games across the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, Monahan rebounded for 26 goals and 59 points in 83 games last year split between the Canadiens and Jets.
He was a great fit in Winnipeg after they picked him up from Montreal via trade, anchoring their second line behind Mark Scheifele and providing important secondary scoring with 13 goals in 34 games. Most believed there was a good chance of him sticking around with the Jets, but after he was limited to one assist in five playoff games in their first-round loss to the Avalanche, he’s moving east to the Blue Jackets.
In Columbus, Monahan has the chance to reunite with longtime Flames teammate Johnny Gaudreau on his wing in a top-six role. Monahan’s career-defining season came with Gaudreau on his wing in Calgary in 2018-19, helping him to a career-high 34 goals and 82 points.
Expecting Monahan to rediscover that kind of scoring is unlikely, especially with Gaudreau undergoing a difficult run since signing with the Jackets (just 12 goals and 60 points in 81 games last year). But giving him potential first-line minutes should give GM Don Waddell a solid return on his investment, even if five years of term is a tad steep for a player with a significant recent injury history.
Monahan should give some insulation and flexibility to Columbus’ developing core of young forwards, namely allowing Adam Fantilli to occupy a more comfortable secondary role in 2024-25 after missing a solid chunk of his rookie year due to a calf laceration.
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Bruins Sign Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov
The Bruins have made two gigantic free-agent splashes. They’re bringing in center Elias Lindholm on a seven-year contract worth $7.75MM per season, Chris Johnston of The Athletic reports. Defenseman Nikita Zadorov is also signing with Boston, per TSN’s Darren Dreger. He adds it’s a six-year, $5MM AAV deal for Zadorov.
For Lindholm, it appears he didn’t lose too much market value after a difficult season offensively. The 2022 Selke Trophy finalist was likely in line for an eight-year extension valued in the $8MM-$9MM range annually had he signed while with the Flames at the beginning of last season, but with Calgary not headed in the direction of contention, he opted not to stick around long-term.
He then embarked on a difficult regular season split between Calgary and Vancouver thanks to a mid-season blockbuster deal, limited to 15 goals and 44 points in 75 games with a -14 rating. It was his worst showing on the scoresheet since 2017-18 when he was still a 23-year-old developing center with the Hurricanes.
Lindholm did well to rebuild his value in postseason action with the Canucks, though. They took the eventual Western Conference champion Oilers to seven games in Round Two, and Lindholm’s production was a big part of that. Serving in a middle-six center role behind J.T. Miller, Lindholm found his game offensively and scored five goals and five assists in 13 games.
A strong faceoff taker, Lindholm projects to slot into the Bruins’ first-line center spot and be a stylistic replacement for the retired Patrice Bergeron, although he doesn’t have the same skill level at either end compared to the future Hall-of-Fame pivot. $7.75MM per season is a steep price to pay for someone who only offered middle-six production last season, but they’re hoping it’s just a blip. Now 29, Lindholm has averaged 20 minutes per game multiple times in his career and has a lengthy recent history of anchoring strong two-way top lines.
Zadorov is also a bit of a gamble at his price tag. The 6’6″, 250-lb defender had a strong market, though, and few should be surprised at what he landed in the end. The brutish blue liner had a career-high 120 PIMs in 2023-24, coupled with 20 points and an even rating in 74 games while logging 17:26 per contest. Like Lindholm, he split the campaign between the Flames and Canucks, although they each found their way to Vancouver in separate trades.
It’s a significant chunk of change for a player who’s never spent time in a top-four role consistently, but his price tag suggests he’ll be doing that in Boston for the next half-decade. The 29-year-old could very well start next season on Boston’s top pairing alongside Charlie McAvoy as the replacement for Matt Grzelcyk, who departed for the Penguins in free agency today.
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Blackhawks To Sign Alec Martinez, Laurent Brossoit, Three Others
Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports the Chicago Blackhawks have signed defenseman Alec Martinez to a one-year, $4MM contract. Additionally — the team has also agreed to terms with goaltender Laurent Brossoit on a two-year, $6.6MM contract, forward Craig Smith on a one-year, $1MM contract, and forward Pat Maroon on a one-year, $1.3MM contract. And while they didn’t qualify him yesterday, winger Joey Anderson is sticking around in Chicago. He’s inking a two-year deal with an $800K cap hit, The Athletic’s Scott Powers reports.
The Blackhawks had quite a few dollars to throw around today and this grouping of players doesn’t even represent all of the organization’s signings today. Chicago has taken a major step forward in their rebuild with these moves, as they’ve grabbed arguably the best goaltender available on the market in addition to two veteran talents with Stanley Cup pedigree. Martinez and Maroon have combined for six Stanley Cup rings throughout their careers and will bring a wealth of experience and leadership to Chicago’s lineup.
Martinez recently wrapped up a four-and-a-half season run with the Vegas Golden Knights while he saw his spot on the depth chart slowly deteriorate. After scoring 32 points in 53 games during the 2020-21 season, Martinez fell to 17 points in 59 games this past year while seeing his ice time drop by nearly three minutes on average. Due to the moves Vegas made on their blue line, Martinez’s time with the organization unceremoniously ended.
In terms of production, Maroon and Smith bring similar power to the roster. Both individuals play with a physical edge while Smith can be counted on for more goals. Factoring in the retention of Anderson on a two-year deal, the Blackhawks bottom-six will be significantly harder to play against than just a season ago.
Finishing up with Brossoit, Chicago brings in some help behind Petr Mrazek. Seeking a larger opportunity outside of a backup role, Brossoit should be set to share the net with Mrazek instead of operating behind a more talented netminder. After winning a Stanley Cup Championship with the Vegas Golden Knights, Brossoit returned to the Winnipeg Jets on a one-year deal in which he would produce a 15-5-2 record in 22 games while posting a .927 SV% and 2.00 GAA.
Capitals Sign Matt Roy, Taylor Raddysh
The Washington Capitals have signed defenseman Matt Roy to a six-year, $33MM contract, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). The deal will carry an annual cap hit of $5.5MM. The Capitals have also signed depth forward Taylor Raddysh to a one-year, $1MM deal per PuckPedia (Twitter link).
Attempting to improve their finish from last season, the Capitals are making heavy investments in their defensive core. After acquiring left-handed defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators, Washington improved their right side with a long-term commitment to Roy. The two-day defenseman had spent the last six years with the Los Angeles Kings after being selected by the team in the seventh round of the 2015 NHL Draft.
Behind Drew Doughty in Los Angeles, Roy became a significantly underrated defenseman. Over the last three years, Roy suited up in 230 games for the Kings while collecting 16 goals and 72 points overall and posting a combined +52 rating. Additionally — Roy averaged 1.72 hits per game and 1.96 blocked shots per game in those three years proving he is not shy about using his body to impact the play.
The only downside of Roy’s contract in Washington is that the team is now $4.88MM over the cap after factoring in the lost contract of Nicklas Backstrom. To trim up their cap situation, the team may look to move on from T.J. Oshie, Trevor van Riemsdyk, or Ethan Bear in the next couple of days.
Raddysh represents an investment in the team’s middle six, but he may end the 2024-25 season on the Hershey Bears. After a strong showing with the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2022-23 regular season, Raddysh experienced a downfall last year as he only mustered five goals and 14 points in 73 games. He did show some strengths on the defensive side of the puck; however, which may have led the Capitals to give him a $1MM deal for next season.
Senators Trade Jakob Chychrun To Capitals
The Washington Capitals have acquired defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators, per a team announcement. Ottawa is receiving defenseman Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round pick in return. The deal comes nearly a year and a half after the Senators acquired Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a 2023 first-round pick, a 2024 second-round pick, and a 2026 second-round pick.
Chychrun should immediately step into a top-four position on the Capitals blue line next to a shutdown defenseman. On a subpar Senators team, Chychrun put up 14 goals and 41 points in 82 games with 16 of those points coming while on the team’s powerplay.
There is some critique of Chychrun’s game on the defensive side of the puck as he finished the 2023-24 season with a -30 rating on the team’s top-pairing. In Chychrun’s defense, Ottawa was plagued by uniquely bad goaltending during the regular season which could have also factored into Chychrun’s 88.0% on-ice save percentage in all situations. The young defenseman finished the year with an expected +/- of 0.4 according to HockeyReference which shows some of Chychrun’s poor defensive metrics were in part due to the Senators’ style of play.
Heading to Ottawa is Jensen who has two years remaining on a three-year, $12.12MM extension signed with Washington towards the end of the 2022-23 regular season. Heading into the 2023-24 season, Jensen was coming off a stretch of 153 games with the Capitals in which he scored 10 goals and 50 points from the blue line. Jensen would only score one goal and 14 points in 79 games for the Capitals this season in a disappointing follow-up.
Becoming more apparent by the day that Chychrun was unwilling to sign an extension with the Senators, the team can get out from under his contract while keeping their defensive structure in place. Chychrun will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season as the 26-year-old defenseman is approaching the end of a six-year, $27.6MM contract originally signed with the Arizona Coyotes.
Devils Sign Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon
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.
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Sharks Sign Tyler Toffoli To Four-Year Contract
Kevin Weekes of ESPN reports that forward Tyler Toffoli will sign with the San Jose Sharks once free agency opens up at the top of the hour. According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN, the Sharks will pay Toffoli a total of $6MM per season.
Since the start of the 2021-22 NHL season, Toffoli has played for four different teams on a tour across Canada and the Atlantic coast of the United States. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports the contract will be a four-year agreement between the Sharks and Toffoli, giving the scoring winger a sense of stability for the time being.
Regardless of the constant change of scenery, Toffoli has kept pace as one of the better-scoring wingers around the league. In 156 games over the last three years split between the Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, and Winnipeg Jets, Toffoli has put up 54 goals and 122 points. Achieving back-to-back 30-goal campaigns over the past two years, Toffoli may be a good bet to reach the 40-goal total for the first time in his career as he should be expected to log heavy minutes for the Sharks.
Not only does Toffoli bring valuable offensive prowess to a young San Jose lineup, but the veteran forward has appeared in four postseason runs over the last five years. In those four trips through the Stanley Cup playoffs, Toffoli has racked up 11 goals and 25 points over 46 games while also winning the Stanley Cup as a member of the Los Angeles Kings back in 2014.
All that compiled into one player is what makes this such a dynamic signing for the Sharks. The organization was desperate to improve upon a 2.20 GF/G and 20.19% powerplay percentage from a season ago. In Toffoli, the team adds that in addition to a veteran with plenty of playoff experience.
Predators Sign Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, Brady Skjei
The Predators and star free agent forward Steven Stamkos are nearing an agreement on a four-year contract that will be worth $32MM, sources tell Pierre LeBrun of TSN. LeBrun also reports the Predators are close to finalizing a deal with 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Marchessault that would pay him around $27.5MM over five years. The respective cap hits would be $8MM for Stamkos and $5.5MM for Marchessault. Nashville keeps their roll going by signing defenseman Brady Skjei to a seven-year, $49MM contract, per LeBrun.
The Predators have become the team of the summer, adding three of the market’s top names in one fail swoop. Their group is headlined by Tampa Bay Lightning legend Stamkos, who’s decided on Nashville in the first trip to free agency of his career. Stamkos has accomplished everything he could have as a Lightning, holding the franchise record in games played, goals, and points – in addition to captaining the team to two Stanley Cups over his decade wearing the team’s ‘C’.
Stamkos should immediately become the team’s top option at center next to Filip Forsberg, giving the Predators flexibility in moving Ryan O’Reilly down to the second unit. Not only will the former first-overall pick assist Nashville on their already above-average 3.24 GF/G during the 2023-24 regular season, but he will also help the team increase their 21.56% powerplay percentage.
Banking on repeat performances from the rest of the forward core — the Predators are poised to have one of the deadliest offenses in the league next season.
The former captain of the Lightning will not be the only 40-goal scorer Nashville will add to the lineup today. Marchessault was one of the many players to break out in Vegas’ first year of action, scoring 27 goals and 75 points – the latter still a career-high. But Marchessault’s goal-scoring upside held strong, since totaling 192 goals across 514 games with Vegas, including a career-high 42 goals this season. On a five-year contract, the Predators hope Marchessault can continue his recent work of averaging 55-70 points in a season while keeping up his status as a hard-nosed player.
General Manager Barry Trotz was not content with singularly upgrading the team’s offensive prowess as they added Skjei on a long-term contract. Skjei similarly found his stride after a move, emerging as a true top defender with 39, 38, and 47 points across the last three seasons. Skjei averaged nearly 22 minutes of ice time over that stretch while adding strong value to both special teams.
The only reason for skepticism on behalf of Skjei’s contract is how well he will operate outside the Carolina Hurricanes’ system. Nashville deploys a similar system as Carolina but does not bring the same pedigree as a possession-dominant team. Because of this, Skjei’s possession metrics increased dramatically since his time with the New York Rangers, and the Predators should be confident he can add value to the team in this department rather than revert to his previous numbers.
These moves go a long way towards boosting Nashville’s top end, as they find one of the best top-line additions to the market in Stamkos while rounding out their second lines with Marchessault and Skjei. With all three of these deals considered, the Predators still boast $5.846MM in cap space, with two holes on defense. Those could be filled by call-ups Spencer Stastney or Marc Del Gaizo, though, potentially giving Nashville just enough space for one more addition.
Blackhawks Expected To Sign Teuvo Teravainen
The Chicago Blackhawks are expected to sign winger Teuvo Teravainen to a three-year, $16.2MM contract, shares PuckPedia (Twitter link).
This move reunites Teravainen with where it all began, having been selected by the Blackhawks 18th overall in the 2012 NHL Draft. Teravainen was drafted out of Finland’s Liiga, where he played two additional following his draft selection. The 2014-15 season marked Teravainen’s first full year in North American pros, and he managed it to good effect, earning an NHL role after posting 25 points in 39 games. The Blackhawks struggled to place the young and relatively inexperienced Teravainen in the lineup, but he still found his way to strong scoring – netting nine points in 34 regular season games and then lighting up for 10 points in 18 postseason games as the Blackhawks chased the 2015 Stanley Cup.
The performance during Chicago’s cup run turned Teravainen into a fan favorite, with Chicago eager for his first full NHL season in 2015-16. But Teravainen couldn’t hold onto his groove despite the anticipation, netting just 35 points in 78 games. Perhaps seeing their chance to sell high, Chicago dealt Teravainen to the Carolina Hurricanes, receiving a second and third-round pick in return, used on prospects Artur Kayumov and Keith Petruzzelli, respectively.
But Chicago was quickly forced to eat their words, as Teravainen posted 42 points in his first year with the Hurricanes, then exploded for 64, 76, and 63 points over the next three seasons. Each year was marked with high goal-scoring, including two 20-goal years. That’s the pace that Teravainen has held onto ever since, with last year’s 37 points in 68 games marking the lowest he’s scored when healthy in Carolina. Even then, he quickly rebounded, netting 25 goals and 53 points in 76 games this season. He added six points in 11 playoff games, pulling himself back into the scoring light after a down year.
He’ll now get a shot at potentially playing with Connor Bedard in a first-line role and is a major boon to their wing depth, joining Tyler Bertuzzi as their high-profile additions today.
Brandon Montour To Sign Seven-Year Deal With Kraken
The Kraken are landing arguably the top defenseman on the free agent market. Brandon Montour will sign in Seattle on a seven-year deal worth roughly $50MM in total, reports TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman confirms the contract value, which translates to a $7.14MM cap hit.
Montour will remain in Seattle through the 2030-31 season. He’ll be 37 years old when his deal expires, meaning this pact will cover the remainder of his prime – and perhaps his career.
After spending the first few years of his career with up and down results through stops with the Ducks and Sabres, Montour has emerged as a bonafide top-pairing threat in Florida over the past two seasons. He broke out in a big way in 2022-23, putting up a monster offensive season with 16 goals, 57 assists and 73 points in 80 games while posting a +9 rating and 107 PIMs. That earned him 12th place in Norris Trophy voting, as his performance from the blue line was a key reason why the Panthers advanced to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final, only their second in franchise history.
This year was a step back for Montour, who began the season on injured reserve after sustaining a shoulder injury in the playoffs. Upon his return, he was still effective, although the points didn’t come with the same ferocity. He finished the year with 33 points in 66 games, a 41-point pace. It was much more in line with his career average, but the key difference was the minutes he logged. Like last season, he remained above average while shouldering heavy usage, averaging 23:27 per game.
Montour will now form an exceptional one-two punch on the right side of Seattle’s defense along with Adam Larsson. He’s unlikely to see first-pairing minutes at even strength alongside Vince Dunn, their primary power-play man and offensive threat from the blue line. That role will stay with Larsson, but Montour could still see heavy minutes in a second-pairing role alongside Jamie Oleksiak on his left flank.
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