St. Louis Blues Extend Will Bitten, Sign Dylan McLaughlin
Amidst the craziness of the ongoing free agent frenzy, the St. Louis Blues have re-signed an RFA depth player, Will Bitten. Per the team’s release, Bitten has signed a two-year, two-way deal carrying a $762K cap hit, per CapFriendly.
Bitten had a breakout season with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds after a midseason trade saw his NHL rights dealt to the Blues from the Minnesota Wild. Notching a solid 25 points in 45 regular season games after the trade, he was also stellar in the Calder Cup Playoffs for Springfield, tallying 21 points in just 18 games.
At 24 years old, the long-term NHL ceiling for Bitten isn’t super high, but there’s still time for him. He’s a cerebral player with good hockey sense, and he’ll look to continue to work his way up the Blues’ depth chart over the next two seasons. Bitten was originally a third-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in 2016. He’s yet to see an NHL game.
The team has also signed forward Dylan McLaughlin to a one-year, two-way contract that will pay $750K in the NHL and $175K in the minors (link).
McLaughlin began his amateur career in the USHL, playing for both the Sioux Falls Stampede and the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders before spending four years at Canisus College, where he had 147 points in 152 games. The forward turned pro, signing with the Rockford IceHogs, the AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks. The 27-year-old has split his professional career between the IceHogs and the Indy Fuel of the ECHL, most recently compiling a strong 2021-22 with Rockford, tallying 13 goals and 29 assists in 55 games.
Florida Panthers Sign Marc, Eric Staal
The Florida Panthers are bringing in some brotherly love, signing Marc Staal to a one-year, $750K deal and Eric Staal to a professional tryout, according to Bob McKenzie of TSN.
The state of Florida will actually have three Staals on the ice, as younger brother Jared Staal is an associate coach with the Orlando Solar Bears. When Jordan Staal and the Carolina Hurricanes come to town, it can be a family reunion.
For the Panthers, adding Marc Staal on a league-minimum deal will give them a veteran presence to plug in whenever necessary. The 35-year-old defenseman has played over 1,000 regular season games, including 71 this season for the Detroit Red Wings.
While he isn’t the elite shutdown option he once was, the veteran defender is still an NHL-level talent that can handle penalty killing and third-pairing responsibilities. He may not play every night for Florida but when you look at a team that paid a huge price for defensive depth at the deadline, adding him now makes sense.
Eric Staal meanwhile didn’t play in the NHL last season, sitting out and suiting up at the Olympics instead. He was always open to a return but never found a job, suggesting that his career may be over. A PTO will give him a chance but it’s hard to see how the 37-year-old fits into the high-flying style of the Panthers.
Seattle Kraken Sign Andre Burakovsky
The Seattle Kraken are getting a big free agent name yet again, signing winger Andre Burakovsky to a five-year deal worth a total of $27.5MM.
It’s an interesting move for the Kraken, who seem to be set on surrounding some of their elite young players with enough talent to be competitive. Burakovsky can potentially join a player like Matthew Beniers in his first full season, giving him a skilled winger that can contribute at both ends of the rink. The 27-year-old had 22 goals and 61 points this season, career-highs in both categories.
Still, even with that strong performance, there has still been criticism of inconsistency levied at the Austrian forward. Burakovsky can go through stretches where he seems extremely ineffective, only to then take over a game completely the next night. Standing 6’3″ with good speed and hands, there has always seemed to be no limit on what he could become at the NHL level.
Perhaps his time in Colorado has truly unlocked that potential and the Kraken are getting a player who has scored at an impeccable rate over the last three seasons. Since joining the Avalanche in 2019, Burakovsky has 150 points in 191 games, numbers that Seattle would obviously welcome with open arms.
A five-year deal carries plenty of risk though, especially if he reverts to the player that had just 25 points in 76 games for the Washington Capitals in 2018-19. Burakovsky is now tied for the highest-paid forward on the Kraken, and signed as long as anyone else on the roster.
Boston Bruins Expected To Sign Dan Renouf
The Boston Bruins are getting some AHL depth on defense, according to Bally Sports’ Andy Strickland. They’re bringing in Dan Renouf on a two-year, two-way deal.
While Renouf’s a name most NHL fans aren’t going to be familiar with, fans of the Grand Rapids Griffins are certainly going to know his name. The 28-year-old undrafted player returns to New England for the first time since he manned the blueline for the University of Maine from 2013-14 to 2015-16.
Since turning pro, Renouf has been a steady, reliable defensive specialist at the AHL level. Last season, Renouf played 63 games for the Griffins, scoring 14 points. More importantly, Renouf played over 20 minutes per night and anchored the Griffins’ penalty kill. The Griffins’ shorthanded unit ranked 29th out of 31 AHL teams, but one has to consider the inconsistent goaltending the team received before pinning that all on Renouf.
Renouf has 23 career NHL games to his name and heads to Providence after a year where he played in four NHL games. He’ll likely be down on the list of defensemen GM Don Sweeney will call up when he needs to fill in for an injured Bruins defenseman, though that won’t stop him from likely playing a valuable role as a top-four defenseman and penalty killer on the Providence Bruins.
Montreal Canadiens Sign Juraj Slafkovsky
The Montreal Canadiens have agreed to terms with first-overall selection Juraj Slafkovsky on his three-year, entry-level contract through 2024-25.
If you were watching any of the coverage of the Montreal Canadiens development camp this week, you can see there is a bit of excitement (and pressure) among the fanbase for Slafkovsky’s future. Crowds of people have been in the practice facility to see his first few puck touches in a Canadiens sweater, and new life has been breathed into the franchise since the draft.
The big Slovakian winger is expected to step right into an NHL role, potentially on the top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, and is an early candidate for rookie of the year just due to opportunity.
Still, there is quite a few quality forwards in the mix right now for the Canadiens, meaning a number of different options for head coach Martin St. Louis.
Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Jan Rutta
The Pittsburgh Penguins have added another defenseman, and this one comes with a Stanley Cup pedigree. Jan Rutta has signed a three-year contract with the Penguins worth a total of $8.25MM. That means an average annual value of $2.75MM, likely more than the Tampa Bay Lightning could afford.
While he likely doesn’t regret his time in Tampa Bay–he did win the Stanley Cup twice, after all–it’s been hard for Rutta to really show what he was capable of on the powerhouse squad. During 158 regular season games with the Lightning, he averaged fewer than 16 minutes a night and that number actually went down in the postseason.
The team’s heavy reliance on its top four left little for Rutta and others to cover, though when he was on the ice he was quite effective. Now in Pittsburgh, he currently projects in basically the same situation.
The Penguins have five defensemen that carry cap hits of at least $4MM, meaning Rutta’s signing only gives more credence to the idea that someone will be moved out in the coming days and weeks.
San Jose Sharks Expected To Sign Andrew Agozzino
The San Jose Sharks are getting depth forward Andrew Agozzino in free agency, according to TSN’s Chris Johnston.
Agozzino is a 31-year-old undrafted forward who has been a top-six scoring forward at the AHL level for the past decade. Agozzino had 43 points in 66 games for the Belleville Senators last season and has multiple point-per-game AHL seasons on his resume.
At the NHL level, Agozzino’s resume is far thinner. He has just nine points in 47 career NHL games and got into only one game this season in Ottawa. This move is likely a move for the San Jose Barracuda, as GM Mike Grier attempts to improve his club’s AHL affiliate. Agozzino will definitely help the Barracuda next year, and Sharks fans can count on him to be among the team’s scoring leaders.
Jaroslav Halak, Louis Domingue Sign With New York Rangers
The New York Rangers have found their backup. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple reports the team has signed veteran Jaroslav Halak to serve as the backup to Igor Shesterkin. According to CapFriendly, the deal is worth $1.55MM, which includes a $1.25MM base, a $250K signing bonus, and $50K in performance bonuses for wins and save-percentage (link). The deal also carries a full no-movement clause.
The team also announced the acquisition of Louis Domingue to be their third-string netminder on a two-year contract. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports it’s a $775,000 cap hit for Domingue, with him earning $750,000 in 2022-23 and $800,000 in 2023-24.
The two deals reinforce the importance of goaltending depth and its place in this year’s offseason market. Halak would represent one of the league’s best true backup goaltenders and Domingue one of the league’s best third-string goaltenders, which is great for the Rangers, but more interesting considering the starter is current Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin. Despite having one of the best goaltenders in the world, the Rangers have committed $2.32MM to their goaltending today, while fighting the salary cap, and one might still consider these to be under-the-radar compared to other goaltender deals this offseason.
Halak will be returning to New York, where he spent four seasons as a member of the New York Islanders, this time playing for the bitter crosstown rivals. The 37-year-old spent this past season as a member of the Vancouver Canucks, suiting up for 17 games where he posted a .903 save-percentage and 2.94 goals-against average.
Domingue is an interesting addition for the Rangers, the goaltender nearly eliminating the team himself back in the first round of this year’s playoffs. Having played just two regular seasons games with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Domingue suited up for six playoffs games following injuries to Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith, winning three of them, with the team ultimately losing in seven games to New York after Jarry returned for game seven. Now, the Rangers will have a chance to experience having Domingue on their side of the ice.
Detroit Red Wings Sign David Perron
The Atlantic Division arms race continues. After signing Andrew Copp earlier today, the Detroit Red Wings have inked David Perron. The team has officially announced the signing, with Perron getting a two-year contract worth $4.75MM per year.
For the first time in his lengthy career, the 34-year-old Perron has signed a contract with someone other than the St. Louis Blues. He’ll join the upstart Detroit squad and offer a plug-and-play offensive dynamo for new head coach Derek Lalonde to deploy. Almost seeming to get better with age, Perron has recorded at least 46 points in each of his last six seasons, including 27 goals and 57 points this year in just 67 games.
Strong on the powerplay and at even-strength, he will add even more firepower to a suddenly dangerous-looking Red Wings group, that could be ready to compete for the postseason again.
Importantly, with the deal stretching just two years, general manager Steve Yzerman maintains his cap flexibility, something that has been so important during this Red Wings rebuild. Copp and Benn Chiarot earned long-term deals from the team today but Perron and Dominik Kubalik are only signed through 2023-24, meaning there will be a good amount of money to re-sign young players like Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, who will be coming off their entry-level deals.
There is some risk that Perron’s game takes a step backward as he heads into his mid-thirties but unless his offense falls off a cliff immediately, it shouldn’t really pose a problem for the Red Wings. Even after their spending spree this offseason they have a good amount of cap space left, meaning there is no danger of getting squeezed by an underperforming 30-something.
Colorado Avalanche Extend Artturi Lehkonen
The Colorado Avalanche have extended restricted free agent Artturi Lehkonen, signing the winger to a five-year contract that will carry an average annual value of $4.5MM. Since he was just one year away from unrestricted free agency, the lucrative extension buys out four UFA years and keeps Lehkonen in Colorado through the 2026-27 season.
New Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland released the following statement:
Artturi was a great fit to our team last season and obviously played an essential role in our championship run. He is incredibly versatile, can play anywhere up and down the lineup. He has a non-stop motor and never takes a shift off. He’s really smart, highly competitive, knows his role no matter what is asked of him. Getting length and term for a player of his quality was a top offseason priority and we’re thrilled to have him for the next five years.
When MacFarland says Lehkonen played an essential role in the Stanley Cup run, he isn’t kidding. The 27-year-old scored eight goals in 20 games, four of them game-winners, including the Cup-deciding tally in game six of the Final. The Finnish winger is probably not going to reach elite offensive totals over the next five years but he’ll be one of the most important pieces if the Avalanche are to challenge for another championship. His penalty-killing ability, physicality, and hockey sense allow the team to put him in basically any situation without worrying about the defensive end of the ice, freeing up the team’s more offensive players to drive the play.
With Lehkonen, Valeri Nichushkin, Josh Manson, Darren Helm, and Andrew Cogliano all brought back, the Avalanche will once again have a very impressive group to push for the Central Division crown and potentially another Stanley Cup.