2023 NHL Free Agency Tracker
Even with an incredibly weak class this year, there is always an exciting buzz around the opening of NHL free agency. July 1 (or whatever day it’s been on in recent years due to COVID altering the league calendar) is always a day with a massive impact on the NHL landscape. Some teams will get better, but even more importantly, more will get worse. That’s especially true in what figures to be the final year of the COVID-caused flat cap. Teams are crunching budgets more than ever, as evidenced by the number of quality players bought out or not tendered qualifying offers. There are some good players out there, but it will be hard for teams to secure their services without overpaying. That, of course, is always the name of the game. Stay here for all the latest updates.
*Note: All dollar figures listed are AAV, not total money for the contract.
LW Pierre Engvall — 7-Year, $3M Extension with New York Islanders
2022-23 (TOR/NYI): 76 GP, 17 G, 13 A, 54.36% Corsi, 55.57% xG
Engvall has largely been a solid bottom-six winger in his four-year career spent between the Maple Leafs and Islanders — sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. He did have nine points in 18 games with New York after being moved at the deadline, and Lou Lamoriello is familiar with him from their Toronto days (although he was a Dave Nonis draft pick). That being said — it’s still seven years for someone you wouldn’t trust on your second line for more than maybe a game or two as an injury fill-in. And even that might be a stretch.
D Bowen Byram — 2-Year, $3.85M Extension with Colorado Avalanche
2022-23 (COL): 42 GP, 10 G, 14 A, 50.64% Corsi, 47.08% xG
Colorado will probably regret this deal, but it’s a necessary evil. Byram has dealt with injury trouble in his young career but looks the part of a top-five pick when he’s on the ice. He may move into a bigger role in 2024-25 if the Avalanche can’t extend pending UFA star Devon Toews.
G Ilya Sorokin — 8-Year, $8.25M Extension with New York Islanders
2022-23 (NYI): 62 GP, .924 SV%, 38.7 GSAE
Only Juuse Saros and Linus Ullmark stopped more goals above expected than Sorokin, who carried the Islanders into the playoffs last year. His backup, Semyon Varlamov, is reportedly coming back, although we don’t know the terms yet. The Islanders had to keep Sorokin no matter the cost, and this isn’t unreasonable for one of the game’s best young goaltenders.
LW Miles Wood –> Colorado Avalanche: 6-Year, $2.5M (Friedman)
2022-23 (NJ): 76 GP, 13 G, 14 A, 27 PTS, 51.26% Corsi, 49.85% xG
Giving a six-year deal to a forward with a career-high of 32 points is generally not a good idea. However, I’m sure Colorado wanted to keep the AAV down — they’re pretty cap-strapped, even with Gabriel Landeskog on LTIR for at least another year — and this a way to do it. Wood is even younger than Graves at 27, but he’s also a physical player, so there’s definitely risk here.
D Ryan Graves –> Pittsburgh Penguins: 6-Year, $4.5M (Friedman)
2022-23 (NJ): 78 GP, 8 G, 18 A, 51.86% Corsi, 53.56% xG
Graves is Pittsburgh’s Brian Dumoulin replacement, a physical second-pair defender who will throw the body and kill penalties. This is the traditional free-agent deal that teams tend to regret the final two years or so. Graves is 28, so he might be young enough to avoid that fate, although physical players tend to age poorly.
G Tristan Jarry –> Pittsburgh Penguins: 5-Year, $5.375M (Friedman)
2022-23 (PIT): 47 GP, .909 SV%, -2.8 GSAE
It’s turning into a busy day for the Penguins, from Acciari to losing Jason Zucker to Arizona (1 x $5.3M) to being involved in Erik Karlsson rumors. But all of that is moot without a goaltender. If the Penguins are going to get Karlsson they wouldn’t likely also have the assets to trade for one of the big-name goaltenders. So, that leads them back to Jarry, who’s been all over the map, from All-Star to the main reason they lost in the first round of the 2021 playoffs. In the aggregate, he’s a solid starting goalie — the bigger question is if that’s good enough for the final years of the Crosby/Evgeni Malkin/Kris Letang era.
Oh, and the Penguins also added Alex Nedeljkovic for a year and $1.5 million just for good measure. Nedeljkovic has delivered consecutive underwhelming seasons in Detroit after being a Calder finalist in 2020-21 with Carolina. I guess that means a trade of long-time backup goalie Casey DeSmith is likely coming.
C Noel Acciari –> Pittsburgh Penguins: 3-Year, $2M (Friedman)
2022-23 (STL/TOR): 77 GP, 14 G, 9 A, 45.11% Corsi, 49.34% xG
Acciari is your typical fourth-liner, which isn’t an insult. He’s physical, wins face-offs, kills penalties — all the good stuff. Kyle Dubas was evidently pleased by the work he did in Toronto after coming over from the Blues at the trade deadline, as they re-unite in Pittsburgh.
LW Michael Bunting –> Carolina Hurricanes: 3-Year, $4.5M
2022-23 (TOR): 82 GP, 23 G, 26 A, 51.7% Corsi, 55.66% xG
LW Alex Killorn –> Anaheim Ducks: 4-Year, $6.25M
2022-23 (TB): 82 GP, 27 G, 37 A, 50.11% Corsi, 49.13% xG
Apparently, Anaheim thinks they are closer to winning than most people think. Killorn, like Gudas, plays a physical game, but he’s much more skilled and coming off the best two offensive seasons of his career. He’ll be a nice fit next to Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry… but I’m still not sure this move makes sense considering Killorn will turn 34 this season.
C Matt Duchene –> Dallas Stars: 1-Year, $3M
2022-23 (NSH): 71 GP, 22 G, 34 A, 48.96% Corsi, 47.54% xG
D Justin Holl –> Detroit Red Wings: 3-Year, $3.4M
2022-23 (TOR): 80 GP, 2 G, 16 A, 50.12% Corsi, 52.95% xG
Holl was not exactly a fan-favorite in Toronto, the type of player who is solid on the whole but is prone to mistakes that are difficult to forget. Holl is a good third-pair defenseman who can play in the top four in a pinch, but if you ask him to be there consistently like the Leafs did at times, it can come back to bite you.
LW Conor Sheary –> Tampa Bay Lightning: 3-Year, $2M
2022-23 (WSH): 82 GP, 15 G, 22 A, 47.64% Corsi, 49.87% xG
Sheary is the first piece for the Lightning to rebuild their forward depth after losing Alex Killorn, Ross Colton, Pierre-Ãduoard Bellemare and Corey Perry. Sheary has had success playing up in the lineup before, most notably with Sidney Crosby in 2016-17. He might get the chance to play on Steven Stamkos or Brayden Point‘s wing in Tampa Bay, which is undoubtedly a great opportunity.
D Kevin Shattenkirk –> Boston Bruins: 1-Year, $1M (Friedman)
2022-23 (ANA): 75 GP, 4 G, 23 A, 44.05% Corsi, 42.21% xG
If nothing else, it will be nice for Shattenkirk to jump back to a team looking to win after toiling in Anaheim for three years following his Stanley Cup win in 2020. He’s a Clifton replacement on Boston’s third pair who should fit nicely next to the defensive-minded Derek Forbort.
C Ryan Poehling –> Philadelphia Flyers: 1-Year, $1.4M (Marek)
2022-23 (PIT): 53 GP, 7 G, 7 A, 49.68% Corsi, 53.13% xG
Poehling stays in the state of Pennsylvania, heading to a rebuilding Flyers team that did need a depth forward or two — especially down the middle. Poehling is 24, and although he’ll likely never live up to the hype he had in Montréal, he’s a fine low-risk signing for Philly’s bottom six.
LW Max Pacioretty –> Washington Capitals: 1-Year, $2M (Friedman)
2022-23 (CAR): 5 GP, 3 G, 64.29% Corsi, 69.65% xG
We know what Pacioretty is at his best — a consistent 25-30 goal, 60-point scoring winger who is a great fit on any team’s top-six. What we don’t know is if Pacioretty still has that level in him after just five games last year following not one but two Achilles tears. But it’s worth taking a cheap flier on him to find out, and that’s what the Capitals are doing here. He should fit in nicely on their second or third line.
D Ian Cole –> Vancouver Canucks: 1-Year, $3M (Friedman)
2022-23 (TB): 78 GP, 3 G, 14 A, 51.56% Corsi, 53.63% xG
D Carson Soucy –> Vancouver Canucks: 3-Year, $3.25M (Friedman)
2022-23 (SEA): 78 GP, 3 G, 13 A, 51.70% Corsi, 51.36% xG
Two numbers explain Vancouver’s reasoning for these signings: 71.6% and 74.9%. Those are the Canucks penalty kill percentages over the last two seasons. They were dead last in 2022-23 and third-worst in 2021-22. Cole and Soucy will help that figure improve, and neither contract is unreasonable. They also don’t move the needle that much, and if this is how the Canucks are spending their OEL buyout savings, I’m not sure it’s worth it. Vancouver’s signing of bottom-six center Teddy Blueger — one-year, $1.9M — is also an attempt to fix this problem.
D Dmitry Orlov –> Carolina Hurricanes: 2-Year, $7.75M (Friedman)
2022-23 (WSH/BOS): 66 GP, 7 G, 29 A, 53.14% Corsi, 53.24% xG
This is the big one. Orlov was the top defenseman on the market, and there’s a good chance he’ll get the highest AAV of any player. The short-term is a feature, not a bug for the 31-year-old, allowing him to cash in again in a few years when the cap increases. Orlov may not be a star, but he’s a talented defenseman who can play with the puck and defends well, especially on entries. This also likely means Brett Pesce’s odds of getting an extension take a nose-dive.
LW Gustav Nyquist –> Nashville Predators: 2-Year, $3.185M (Friedman)
2022-23 (CBJ/MIN): 51 GP, 11 G, 16 A, 45.61% Corsi, 46.54% xG
Injuries led Nyquist to the worst season of his career, and he’ll get a chance to bounce back in a top-six role for Nashville. He’s still got good speed and can score, but he isn’t a true difference-maker. Nyquist feels like a place-holder to me, which is fine for a two-year pact.
D Connor Clifton –> Buffalo Sabres: 3-Years, $3.33M
2022-23 (BUF): 78 GP, 5 G, 18 A, 48.5% Corsi, 52.17% xG
It made sense to see the Sabres sign one right-handed defenseman, but coming back for seconds is a bit more surprising. Clifton has a strong track record in a fairly sheltered role in Boston, so we’ll have to see where the Sabres slot him and Johnson into their lineup. This also creates a little bit of a log jam for the Sabres that could leave either Henri Jokiharju or Ilya Lyubushkin as the odd-man out.
RW Connor Brown –> Edmonton Oilers: 1-Year, $775K
2022-23 (WSH): 4 GP, 51.19% Corsi, 41.35% xG
Brown’s deal comes with a whopping $3.25M in performance bonuses, which isn’t surprising when you remember Washington traded a second-round pick to acquire him a year ago. Brown, a 20-goal scorer as a rookie with Toronto in 2016-17, was a quality middle-sixer for Ottawa before injuries, most notably a torn ACL four games into last season, slowed him down. Oh, and he’s a former junior teammate of Connor McDavid. This could be one of the best signings of the day.
C Morgan Geekie –> Boston Bruins: 2-Year, $2M (Friedman)
2022-23 (SEA): 69 GP, 9 G, 19 A, 49.83% Corsi, 50.27% xG
One of the best players to not receive a qualifying offer, Geekie heads to a Bruins team in desperate need of center help. He’s not going to be a difference-maker, but the 24-year-old is a quality bottom-sixer who improves Boston’s depth at a cheap price.
D Erik Johnson –> Buffalo Sabres: 1-Year, $3.25M (Jeff Marek)
2022-23 (COL): 63 GP, 8 A, 48.5% Corsi, 47.26% xG
The Sabres’ most obvious need was a top-four defenseman to pair with Owen Power. Johnson used to be at that level but dropped off quite a bit last season after years of quality underlying numbers. Can he get back to that level at 35? And does he preclude the Sabres from taking a shot at a better player like Brett Pesce?
G James Reimer –> Detroit Red Wings: 1-Year, $1.5M
2022-23 (SJ): 43 GP, .890 SV%, -11.3 GSAE
This is Detroit’s Alex Nedeljkovic’s replacement to pair with Ville Husso. The 35-year-old Reimer probably shouldn’t be playing 40-plus games a year anymore. But in a lesser role, he could be a solid netminder — after all, he did have a .911 save percentage a year ago. Of course, Reimer’s biggest headline last year didn’t have to do with his play, but his decision to not wear San Jose’s pride night warmup jersey.
D Radko Gudas –> Anaheim Ducks: 3-Year, $4M (Friedman)
2022-23 (FLA): 72 GP, 2 G, 15 A, 55.81% Corsi, 56.91% xG
Gudas is a unicorn in this sport. He plays an old-school physical style, but his underlying numbers are among the sport’s best. Part of that is an excessive amount of point shots on his part, but Gudas is a solid defenseman, albeit one with limited puck skills that prevent him from being much more than a No. 4. Why the rebuilding Ducks felt the needed to bring in the 33-year-old is less clear, though.
G Joonas Korpisalo –> Ottawa Senators: 5-Year, $4M
2022-23 (CBJ/LA): 39 GP, .914 SV%, 12.7 GSAE
Goaltending was one of Ottawa’s major weaknesses last season, and they’re hoping Korpisalo’s re-emergence last season is for real. It’s a fairly big risk for someone with an uneven track record — Koprisalo had two sub-.900 save percentage years before last season, including an unplayable .877 mark in 2021-22. But he also played at a .911 clip the year before that. Moral of the story: goalies are weird.
G Frederik Andersen –> Carolina Hurricanes: 2-Year, $3.4M
2022-23 (CAR): 34 GP, .903 SV%, -3.5 GSAE
Andersen fell off a fair bit last year after a strong first season with the Hurricanes. So, given that they’ve already re-signed Raanta, it’s a bit of a surprise to see them running it back with Kotchetkov waiting in the wings. The plan seems to be Andersen-Raanta this year, Andersen-Kotchetkov the next and then have Kotchetkov take over if he develops.
G Mackenzie Blackwood –> San Jose Sharks: 2-Year, $2.35M
2022-23 (NJ): 22 GP, .893 SV%, -0.9 GSAE
Well, at least the Sharks didn’t burn that sixth-round pick for nothing. A few years ago, Blackwood was regarded as one of the league’s top young goalies. His game has regressed since and he was jumped on the Devils goalie depth chart multiple times over. He’s a low-risk, high-reward signing for the Sharks. But let’s not give them too much credit for coming to terms on a goalie with a sub-.895 SV% the last two years, unless we’re talking in terms of a stealth tank.
RW Blake Wheeler –> New York Rangers: 1-Year, $800K
2022-23 (WPG): 72 GP, 16 G, 39 A, 53.49% Corsi, 50.32% xG
The Rangers needed another winger to fill out their top nine, and they find one in the former Jets captain who was bought out yesterday. Wheeler is 36 but is still a quality playmaker and a bargain at such a small cap hit. Credit Chris Drury on what could be one of the better value deals of the day. The Rangers also made the Jonathan Quick signing official — it’s a one-year, $825K for the long-time King.
LW James van Riemsdyk –> Boston Bruins: 1-Year, $1M (Friedman)
2022-23 (PHI): 61 GP, 12 G, 17 A, 50.79% Corsi, 53.33% xG
JVR may have been the punching bag of the trade deadline, and he’s not a top-six staple anymore. But he scored at a decent enough clip to be a third-liner, and his underlying numbers were as strong as ever. The Bruins desperately need capable forward depth, and van Riemsdyk is still capable of providing that. Just don’t expect him to be a major offensive threat.
C Ryan O’Reilly –> Nashville Predators: 4-Year, $4.45M (Friedman)
2022-23 (STL/TOR): 53 GP, 16 G, 14 A, 50.07% Corsi, 52.02% xG
Well, the Predators have a new second-best forward. O’Reilly probably isn’t winning another Selke Trophy, but he’s still a quality two-way second-liner who looked rejuvenated after his trade to the Maple Leafs. Still, a four-year term is a bit risky for a 32-year-old. And is O’Reilly meaningfully better than Matt Duchene or/and Ryan Johansen? He definitely has a different, more well-rounded skillset, but Nashville needs scoring, too.
D Joel Edmundson Traded from MTL to WSH for 2024 3rd, 2024 7th
2022-23 (MTL): 61 GP, 2 G, 11 A, 42.94% Corsi, 41.57% xG
Montréal wasn’t a good team last year. But Edmundson’s underlying numbers are some of the worst in the league even accounting for that. The 2019 Stanley Cup champion, like Reaves, is a physical player who the Capitals are banking on helping their penalty kill and being a better player in the more physical playoffs. Of course, you have to get there first, though. It does help that Montréal is retaining 50% of Edmundson’s $3.5M cap hit. He’ll be a free agent at season’s end.
RW Ryan Reaves –> Toronto Maple Leafs: 3-Year, $1.35M (Chris Johnston)
2022-23 (MIN): 73 GP, 5 G, 10 A, 45.19% Corsi, 46.62% xG
Oh boy. The Maple Leafs tried the “multi-year deal to an enforcer” with Matt Martin a few years ago, and it didn’t exactly turn out well. The Reaves deal will likely age worse given he’s 36 and has one of the worst profiles in the league when it comes to underlying numbers. Of course, you’re paying Reaves for his intangibles (and his fists). But toughness hasn’t been Toronto’s problem in the last few playoffs — despite their stars, it’s been goal-scoring. The best part about this contract is it is almost completely buriable in the AHL.
D Luke Schenn –> Nashville Predators: 3-Year, $2.75M (Friedman)
2022-23 (VAN/TOR): 70 GP, 4 G, 18 A, 44.92% Corsi, 45.28% xG
Physical defensemen have gone from being overvalued to a bit of a market inefficiency. Schenn probably played better than the numbers suggest and Toronto fans seemed to be mostly pleased with his play after coming over at the deadline. That being said, I have no idea what Nashville is doing. They didn’t really need to add another blue-liner, but their second-best forward is… Thomas Novak? Cody Glass? Whoever the answer is, it’s not good enough.
G Antti Raanta –> Carolina Hurricanes: 1-Year, $1.5M (Darren Dreger)
2022-23 (CAR): 27 GP, .910 SV%, 1.3 Goals Saved Above Expected
Carolina already has top prospect Pyotr Kochetkov on a four-year, $8M deal (although he’s still waivers exempt). So, they opt to likely pair him with a familiar face in Raanta, who has had two solid years in Raleigh but does come with injury concerns. The Hurricanes also officially announced a reasonable two-year extension at a $2.4M AAV with Jesper Fast. Don Waddell likes what he has, although it feels like the Hurricanes need one more big name to get them over the hump. No, Tony DeAngleo doesn’t count.
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson –> Florida Panthers: 1-Year, $2.25M (Elliotte Friedman)
2022-23 (VAN): 54 GP, 2 G, 20 A, 47.39 Corsi For%, 45.25 Expected Goals For%
Perhaps Florida is hoping the once elite offensive defenseman can be a temporary Brandon Montour replacement if he isn’t ready to go on opening night. However, Ekman-Larsson hasn’t scored at a 40-point pace in a non-shortened season since 2018-19. He’s both aged out of his prime and dealt with injury since then. A one-year deal always comes with minimal risk, but the Panthers could get burnt if they’re expecting OEL to be a top-four fixture.
G Cam Talbot –> Los Angeles Kings: 1-Year, $2M (Kevin Weekes)
2022-23 (OTT): 36 GP, .898 SV%, -0.7 GSAE
There have been times in Talbot’s career where he’s performed like a starting goaltender. Last year wasn’t one of them, and at 35 it’s fair to wonder if those days are behind him. It feels a bit like the Kings had their priorities backward. Pierre-Luc Dubois was the luxury addition — L.A. didn’t need another center. Talbot and Phoenix Copley aren’t terrible, but it’s hard to feel good about the Kings’ netminding heading into a playoff series. Then again, you could’ve said the same about Vegas last year.
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Skater Advanced Stats are 5v5 and via Natural Stat Trick unless otherwise stated; Goalie Advanced Stats via Moneypuck.com unless otherwise stated
