NHL teams making moves, not waiting for top free agents

Taylor Hall went unsigned during the first day of free agency. Same with Alex Pietrangelo and Mike Hoffman.

A handful of the top free agents are still available, but NHL teams aren’t waiting for those big fish to sign to make other moves. Boston paused its pursuit of Hall to sign big winger Craig Smith; Columbus shored up its center depth by inking veteran center Mikko Koivu while keeping tabs on other options and Carolina put its goaltending shopping on hold to add speedy forward Jesper Fast.

“Some of those players are very unique and high- level players and they’re probably searching for right opportunity for them,” Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said after giving Smith $ 9.3 million over three years. “And then when it comes, they’ll find their landing spot. I think all the other teams are doing the exact same thing. I think we’ll continue to have those conversations.”

Some conversations are happening by phone or video chat and others in person. Pietrangelo flew to Vegas on Saturday to visit the Golden Knights, who have been clearing salary cap space to try to accommodate the 2019 Stanley Cup- winning defenseman.

Vegas needs to make another move or two to fit Pietrangelo, and it’s not alone in clearing the books. Nashville, which bought out Kyle Turris and let Smith leave in free agency, traded forward Austin Watson to Ottawa for a 2021 fourth- round pick.

The Blue Jackets bought out Alexander Wennberg and made some other salarysaving decisions, but don’t expect them to go big name hunting. Koivu signed for $ 1.5 million for next season, and they need to re- up top center Pierre- Luc Dubois and other restricted free agents.

Some good free agents found new homes Saturday. Fast signed a $ 6 million, threeyear deal with the Hurricanes, the Detroit Red Wings added goaltender Thomas Greiss and defenseman Troy Stecher and the Dallas Stars got good value with defenseman Mark Pysyk on a $ 750,000 contract.

Stecher wasn’t the only defenseman to leave Vancouver, as Chris Tanev joined the Calgary Flames for four years and $ 18 million. Calgary spent even bigger in goal Friday when it signed ex- Canucks netminder Jacob Markstrom to a $ 36 million, six- year deal.

Buffalo signed center Cody Eakin to a $ 4.5 million, two- year contract, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deal, and later signed defenseman Brandon Montour to a $ 3.85 million, one- year deal.