Lots of movement, but cap stymies big contracts
Aside from defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk and Karl Alzner attracting $ 20 million- plus contracts, NHL free agency isn't what it used to be. Not in a stagnant salarycap era.
Though plenty of players moved once the signing period opened on Saturday — more than 30 switched teams within the first 90 minutes — missing were the high- priced, long- term contracts that once were the norm.
Shattenkirk, considered the top free agent available, signed a four- year, $ 26.6 million contract with the New York Rangers. After nine seasons in Washington, Alzner got a five- year, $ 23.1 million deal from Montreal.
The most lucrative deals were two contracts to retain young stars: San Jose locked up defenseman MarcEdouard Vlasic with an eight- year, $ 56 million contract, and Anaheim signed defenseman Cam Fowler to an eight- year, $ 52 million deal.
That's a drastic change from a year ago, when three free agents signed seven- year contracts, including aging veteran Milan Lucic's $ 42 million deal with Edmonton.
"There are a whole lot of factors," Detroit general manager Ken Holland said, noting foremost that "the cap used to go up $4 million to $ 5 million a year."
The cap has barely budged since 2014- 15, going from $69 million to $ 75 million next season.
"We try to stay away from those five-, six-, seven-, eight- year deals right now and figure out where the cap is going," Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton said.
Teams instead are resorting to a payroll model used by Pittsburgh and Chicago: commiting high salaries to their best players and filling secondary needs with young players and lower- cost journeymen. Penguins see key players depart
Pittsburgh will look very different as it tries for a Stanley Cup three-peat next season. The Penguins lost winger Chris Kunitz, center Nick Bonino and defensemen Trevor Daley and Ron Hainsey as free agency opened.
The Penguins did sign defenseman Matt Hunwick and goaltender Antti Niemi, and satisfied a big priority by re-signing restricted free agent defenseman Justin Schultz to a three-year, $16.5 million contract. Hunwick (three years, $6.75 million) will help replace Daley, and Niemi (one-year deal at $700,000) will back up Matt Murray.
Bonino departed for a four-year, $16.4 million contract with Nashville, Kunitz signed a one-year deal worth $2 million from Tampa Bay, Daley left for blue-line strapped Detroit and Hainsey wound up in Toronto on a two-year, $6 million deal. General manager Jim Rutherford said the Penguins aren't in a salarycap crunch this offseason. "This is probably the best shape we've been in in a few years at this point in time," he said. "We'll be able to add another player and still end up under the cap."
Without Bonino, Pittsburgh is looking for a third-line center to play behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, a need Rutherford expects to fill with a trade.
Kunitz won three Cups in his nine years in Pittsburgh. The Penguins now will turn to young forwards such as Jake Guentzel, Conor Sheary, Scott Wilson and Carter Rowney. Red Wings add Daley to defense
Detroit addressed a glaring need on defense after not making the playoffs for the first time since 1990, signing Daley to a three-year, $9.5 million contract.
"As we headed into free agency, one of the areas we really wanted to address was our blue line," GM Ken Holland said. "We felt we had to do something."
Daley, 33, has 78 goals and 278 points in a 13-year career, much of it with Dallas before playing for Chicago and Pittsburgh the past two seasons.
Jagr era comes to end with Panthers
Making official what was suspected for some time, Florida general manager Dale Tallon said the franchise would be moving on without Jaromir Jagr, who was with the Panthers for 2½ seasons and will turn 46 next season.
"I can't say enough. It was an honor to be touched by a legend," Tallon said. "I was torn. … I can't thank him enough."
Ex-Jackets updates
• Toronto re-signed backup goaltender Curtis McIlhenney, whose deal carries a salary-cap hit of $850,000 per season.
• Goaltender Steve Mason left Philadelphia for a two-year, $8.2 million deal with Winnipeg.
Elsewhere
• Patrick Sharp is back in Chicago. The 35-yearold forward signed a one-year, $800,000 contract after spending the previous two seasons in Dallas.
• Justin Williams departed Washington to sign a two-year, $9 million contract with Carolina, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2004.