Hurricanes, Rangers turn rivalry into signing frenzy on 1st day of free agency
The New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes aren’t limiting their Metropolitan Division rivalry to just the ice.
On Saturday, the teams were locked in a contract signing frenzy to see who could land the most players in free agency.
The Hurricanes not only retained their starting goalie tandem of Antti Raanta and Frederik Andersen and re-signed speedy forward Jesper Fast, they also made one of the bigger early splashes by signing free agent defenseman Dmitry Orlov to a two-year, $15.5 million contract and later added winger Michael Bunting on a three-year, $13.5 million deal.
Not to be outdone, Rangers GM Chris Drury countered with a flurry of moves, highlighted by signing forwards Blake Wheeler, Nick Bonino and Tyler Pitlick, and twotime Stanley Cup champion goalie Jonathan Quick, who’s coming off backing up when Vegas won it all. The additions come with the team standing to lose Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko to free agency.
In the meantime, Barry Trotz opened his tenure as Predators general manager with a major move by signing one of the game’s top twoway forwards, Ryan O’Reilly, to a four-year, $18 million contract, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The Predators also signed winger Gustav Nyquist to a $6.37 million, two-year contract, according to a second person with knowledge of that deal.
O’Reilly, who closed last season with Toronto and was the playoff MVP for the Stanley Cup-winning Blues in 2019, arrives in Music City after the Predators began purging highpriced veterans. They bought out the remainder of Matt Duchene’s contract and traded
Ryan Johansen to Colorado.
Nashville also signed veteran defenseman Luke Schenn to a three-year, $8.25 million contract.
For a free-agent class considered thin entering the day, many NHL GMs were quick out of the gate to fill their biggest needs.
The Buffalo Sabres upgraded their blue line by signing former Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton to a three-year, $9.99 million contact and former Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson to a one-year, $3.25 million deal. The Sabres are also bringing back forward Tyson Jost — whom they claimed off of waivers last season — by signing him to a one-year, $2 million contract.
Ex-Blue Jacket Duchene didn’t last long in free agency. The 32-year-old center signed a deal with Dallas for next season worth $3 million, according to a person with knowledge of the signing.
Another former Blue Jacket, goaltender Joonas Korpisalo signed with Ottawa for five years at $4 million per season.
The Washington Capitals, looking to get back into the playoffs after their eight-year run ended, went bargain shopping by signing winger Max Pacioretty to a $2 million contract for next season that has $2 million in possible incentives. Pacioretty is coming off tearing his right Achilles tendon twice in the past year.
In Carolina, Orlov joins the ’Canes after spending his first 10 seasons in Washington and Boston. He’s a reliable, twoway defenseman who can play a physical game with offensive potential.
The Hurricanes goalie tandem, which shared the William M. Jennings Trophy in 2022 for allowing the fewest goals, returns for at least one more year. Raanta signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract before free agency began, and Andersen followed with a two-year, $6.8 million deal.
The 31-year-old Fast, a reliable and speedy forward, returns for a fourth season in Carolina after signing a a two-year contract worth $4.8 million.
In the Big Apple, the Rangers signed Wheeler to a oneyear deal worth $800,000 plus another $300,000 in incentives a day after the former Jets captain was placed on unconditional waivers by Winnipeg for the purpose to have the remainder of his contract bought out. Wheeler is a 13-year NHL veteran, who has topped 20 goals seven times.
Quick signed a one-year, $825,000 deal that includes $100,000 in incentives with New York, where the 16-year NHL veteran is expected to serve as a backup to Igor Shesterkin.
Elsewhere:
■ The New York Islanders re-signed four of their own to long-term deals, retaining goaltenders Ilya Sorokin (eight years) and Semyon Varlamov (four years) and signing defenseman Scott Mayfield and winger Pierre Engvall each to seven-year deals.
■ The Pittsburgh Penguins brought back unrestricted free agent Tristan Jarry to be their netminder for the next five years, retaining the 28-yearold on a $26.88 million deal.
■ The Bruins brought back 2011 Cup winner Milan Lucic on a one-year deal.
■ The Phoenix Coyotes signed former Penguin Jason Zucker to a one-year, $5.3 million deal.