Detroit Red Wings Sign Justin Holl
The Detroit Red Wings have signed defenseman Justin Holl to a three-year contract worth $3.4MM per season, the team said. Per CapFriendly, his deal includes a 21-team no-trade list.
In what will likely go down as one of the more interesting signings from the free agency frenzy today, the deal for Holl is very reminiscent of one of Detroit’s signings last offseason in Ben Chiarot. Last offseason, the Red Wings spent over $20MM when the market opened up, and only managed a +3 win differential over the course of a year.
At last year’s deadline, Detroit flipped defenseman Filip Hronek to the Vancouver Canucks for the New York Islander’s first-round selection in the 2023 NHL Draft. In doing so, it was expected that the team would transfer Hronek’s minute to one of their best prospects, Simon Edvinsson. Instead, it appears that Holl will replace Hronek in the lineup moving forward.
Even with the Holl signing, the Red Wings still only have six defensemen on their roster, indicating that Edvinsson could still find a place on the team, moving Gustav Lindstrom to their seventh defenseman spot in the lineup. However, Edvinsson is not the only defenseman ready for a callup to the NHL, as fellow countrymen William Wallinder appears ready for NHL action as well.
New Jersey Devils Acquire Colin Miller
The New Jersey Devils have acquired defenseman Colin Miller from the Dallas Stars in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round pick, according to a team announcement.
Having already traded defenseman Damon Severson to the Columbus Blue Jackets in an earlier trade this offseason, and the expected loss of Ryan Graves to the free agent market, the deal for Miller helps the Devils ease the loss from those two defensemen.
Luckily for New Jersey, uber-prospect Luke Hughes is ready for some big-time minutes next season, as well as the eventual callup of top prospect, Simon Nemec. In the meantime, Miller should serve as a decent filler until Nemec gets his chance at the professional level. Last season for the Stars, Miller played in 79 games, scoring six goals and 15 minutes of assists in just under 17 minutes of ice time a night.
Although this move does hurt the Stars’ defense, the $1.85MM generated in cap room allowed for the team to bring in their big-ticket free agent, later signing Matt Duchene to a one-year, $3MM contract for the 2023-24 NHL season. Having the benefit of one of the league’s top goaltenders between the pipes, Dallas had the opportunity to considerably improve their offensive unit.
Carolina Hurricanes Sign Dmitry Orlov
The Carolina Hurricanes have signed arguably the top defenseman available on the free agent market, inking former Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals rearguard Dmitry Orlov to a two-year, $7.75MM AAV deal.
As a leading free agent defenseman, Orlov securing just a two-year term on his deal comes as a bit of a surprise. IF any defenseman was going to get a maximum-term seven-year deal, it would be Orlov.
But instead, he follows the lead of countryman and Los Angeles Kings defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, who secured his own pricey two-year deal earlier this offseason.
Orlov is an all-situations minutes-eating top-four defenseman who averages over 20 minutes of ice time per night for his career, including this past season where he averaged over 22.
Not only is Orlov a capable defensive defenseman and a penalty-kill contributor, he’s also a valuable offensive defenseman as well.
After a mid-season trade to the Boston Bruins, Orlov scored 17 points in just 23 regular-season games as well as eight points in seven playoff games.
That put Orlov in his peak range which has been around 35 points, though his scorching hot run with the Bruins suggests there’s more offensive potential in Orlov’s game than he may have shown as a Capital.
Orlov will be turning 34 when this contract with the Hurricanes ends, meaning one has to wonder if he’ll truly be in line to cash in on a significant long-term deal. That being said, there are few better places for him to land than Carolina. Adding to incumbent left-handers Jaccob Slavin and Brady Skjei, Orlov gives the Hurricanes easily the NHL’s best left side of their defense.
He’ll be leaned upon heavily by head coach Rod Brind’Amour and be a major help to the Hurricanes’ hopes for a Stanley Cup championship, all without the long-term commitment that can bite teams in later years.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Milan Lucic Returns To Boston Bruins
Veteran winger Milan Lucic has returned to the team that drafted him, signing a one-year, $1MM contract plus performance bonuses with the Boston Bruins, per CapFriendly.
Even if he is far beyond the player that he used to be, Lucic’s return to Boston is more than just sentimental. In the past several years playing with the Calgary Flames, Lucic has shown that he still has the ability to score 10 goals and 10 assists a year. It’s a far cry from the 50-60 point seasons he used to put up with Boston back in the mid-2010s, but the signing of Lucic strengthens this team’s bottom six and adds some serious grit to the lineup.
At 35 years of age, and a significant decrease in offensive output over the last six seasons, this very well may be the last contract that Lucic signs in the NHL. In the meantime, having already played 566 games in Boston, scoring 342 points and adding a Stanley Cup to the trophy case back in 2012, Lucic will only add to those accomplishments next year.
Vancouver Canucks Sign Five Players
The Vancouver Canucks have signed defenseman Ian Cole, center Teddy Blueger, and AHL forward Tristen Nielsen to contracts, per the team. Cole will earn $3MM on a one-year deal, Blueger will earn $1.9MM on a one-year deal, and Nielsen signed a two-year entry-level deal. They’ve also signed veteran blueliner Matt Irwin to a one-year, two-way contract. They’ve also added goalie Zachary Sawchenko on a one-year, two-way deal.
One of the primary focuses for the Canucks heading into free agency was upgrading their defense, and it’s tough to do much better than Cole in that aspect of the game. Regularly blocking over 100 shots a year, and averaging one of the better Defensive Point Shares in the league, the induction of Cole marketably improves the quality of the team’s defense headed into next year. Pair that with the signing of Irwin, and the Canucks defensive depth chart has improved considerably in the last 24 hours.
With Blueger, the Canucks should be expecting somewhere in the range of 20-30 points from him next season. A recent player for the Stanley Cup-winning Vegas Golden Knights, Blueger now brings playoff experience to a team that is in desperate need of getting there. Aside from his playoff experience, the addition of Blueger will tremendously help the Canucks penalty kill, a unit that carried a league-worst 71.6% success rate last season.
Detroit Red Wings Sign Alex Lyon
The Detroit Red Wings signed UFA netminder Alex Lyon to a two-year, $1.8MM deal today, per PuckPedia. He’ll earn $900K per season.
Having already added to their depth in goal with the signing of James Reimer, the Red Wings continue to try and improve one of their worst categories from the 2022-23 NHL season. In another attempt at getting more value than they paid for, it remains to be seen what version of Lyon the team will get next year.
Playing on the eventual 2023 Eastern Conference Champion, Florida Panthers, Lyon was one of the main reasons the Panthers even got to the dance in the first place. To end the regular season, Lyon posted a 6-2-1 record in nine games, carrying a .930 SV%, leading his team to the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Heading into their first-round matchup against the President’s Trophy-winning Boston Bruins, Florida wanted to ride the hot hand of Lyon in the net. Unfortunately at the time for the team, Lyon got completely lit up against the Bruins, leading to the team using Sergei Bobrovsky the rest of the way. In his four games against Boston, Lyon went 1-2-0, only garnering a .888 SV%, leading to his eventual move to the bench.
The jury is still out on whether or not the Red Wings plan to find their way back to contention next year, so Lyon may not be playing under as much pressure as he was in Florida. Likely going to be serving as a third-string goalie behind both Reimer and Ville Husso, Lyon will be an adequate option for Detroit if there is an injury or a complete breakdown from the other two.
Nashville Predators Sign Gustav Nyquist
Winger Gustav Nyquist has signed a two-year deal with the Nashville Predators worth $3.185MM per season, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
In a surprise twist to free agency day that not many expected, the Predators continue to pull in talent to fill out their NHL roster. One of the more unheralded players in the league, Nyquist is an above-average middle-six option for most teams. Finishing off a four-year, $22MM contract signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets back in 2019, Nyquist finished his year with the Minnesota Wild after being acquired at the deadline.
Hampered by injuries last season, Nyquist made a great return to the NHL, scoring five points in his last three games of the year. Following the Wild into the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, Nyquist scored another five points, all assists, in the team’s opening-round matchup with the Dallas Stars.
The signing of Nyquist gives the Predators an incredible amount of flexibility headed into next season. The new General Manager of the team, Barry Trotz, has already indicated that he plans on the team giving much more ice time to some of their younger players. However, if those players don’t play up to expectations this season, Nyquist is an option on the wing that can play on the team’s top three lines.
Dallas Stars Bring Back Joel Hanley
The Dallas Stars are retaining defenseman Joel Hanley on a two-year contract, per the team. It carries an average annual value of $787.5K.
In bringing back Hanley, the Stars have shored up their defensive depth for next season. Serving as their seventh defenseman last year, Hanley should expect much of the same heading into the 2023-24 NHL season. Last season, Hanley managed to play in 26 games in Dallas, scoring two assists in just over 11 and a half minutes a night.
In the playoffs, especially in the midst of the team’s run to the 2023 Western Conference Finals, Hanley actually received much more playing time for the Stars, largely due to the internal demotion of defenseman Nils Lundkvist. Because the team did not deem Lundkvist ready for playoff hockey, Hanley played in 13 games, grabbing one assist in almost 13 minutes a night.
Although he will not be a big name on the back for Dallas, Hanley provides the team with organizational depth in case of injury. Being one of the more serviceable extra defenseman in the league, Hanley should be an adequate safety net for the Stars.
Boston Bruins To Sign Morgan Geekie
The Boston Bruins are acquiring center Morgan Geekie on a two-year, $4MM deal worth $2MM per season, per a team announcement.
Geekie, 24, lands in Boston after going without a qualifying offer from his former team, the Seattle Kraken. Geekie was originally acquired by Seattle in their expansion draft, coming over from the Carolina Hurricanes with the hope that his success at the WHL and AHL levels would finally translate in a new environment.
While Geekie showed some flashes in Seattle, he couldn’t put together enough consistent production to earn larger roles in head coach Dave Hakstol’s lineup. With Boston expecting to enter next season without their top two centers from last year, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, Geekie has perhaps the best opportunity of his career to advance his NHL career.
If he can have a srong training camp and snatch a top-nine center role, Geekie could feasibly have a career-best season with the Bruins and provide them with exceptional surplus value for their $2MM cap hit. He has shown some offensive touch at lower levels, such as in the AHL where in his last full season he scored 42 points in 55 games, so perhaps he has some more offensive upside to be unlocked in his six-foot-three frame.
If he can’t manage to finally become a consistent NHL producer, this $2MM cap hit could look a bit pricey for what Geekie provides as a bottom-sixer. But even taking into account that risk, it’s a decent bet for the Bruins to make.
Edmonton Oilers Sign Connor Brown, Two Others
Per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, the Edmonton Oilers have finalized a one-year contract with forward Connor Brown. The deal will have a $775K cap hit but includes an additional $3.25MM in potential performance bonuses, coming off an ACL injury that cost him most of the 2022-23 season.
They’ve also added winger Drake Caggiula back to their organization on a two-year, two-way contract with a $775k AAV, according to The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman. Caggiula is an impact AHL scorer who also has experience as an NHL bottom-six winger. He spent three seasons with the Oilers from 2016-17 to 2018-19.
The Oilers have also made one more depth signing, inking blueliner Ben Gleason to a two-year $775k AAV contract, per PuckPedia. The deal is a two-way pact for the first year and a one-way deal in the second, carrying a $425k AHL salary in year one.
The Brown signing is a savvy move for both Brown and the Oilers for a variety of reasons. For Brown, this deal gives him the best chance of a quality, productive season to allow him to cash in on next year’s free agent market. A former teammate of Connor McDavid in the OHL, Brown has a very strong chance of ending up on either McDavid or Leon Draisaitl‘s wing.
Seeing as those players are routinely two of the NHL’s top scorers (with McDavid expected to lead the NHL in scoring and win the Hart Trophy pretty much every season) Brown is in line to fly past his career-highs in production, similar to what another former Maple Leafs winger, Zach Hyman, has done in Edmonton.
For Edmonton, this move lands them a quality two-way second-line player at a league-minimum cap hit, as most of the deal’s financial value is tied up in bonuses. Given how Edmonton figures to press right up against the salary cap this season, the structure of this contract allows them to potentially push the bulk of Brown’s cap hit to next season.
There likely wasn’t going to be a path for Edmonton to acquire a better player than Brown on the free-agent market. Understanding the team’s needs and limitations under the cap, it’s hard to argue with this free-agent addition.