Rangers add free agent Panarin

The New York Rangers landed the biggest fish in NHL free agency by agreeing to terms with winger Artemi Panarin on a sevenyear, $81.5 million contract.

The team announced the deal Monday, about an hour after the market opened.

Panarin has 116 goals and 204 assists for 302 points in 322 regular-season games with the Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets. Panarin recorded a career-best 87 points last season with Columbus.

PANTHERS ADD BOBROVSKY >> The Florida Panthers signed goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to a seven-year contract worth $70 million for a salary-cap hit of $10 million per season.

Bobrovsky was Florida’s top free-agent target, especially after last week’s retirement of longtime goalie Roberto Luongo. Bobrovsky has a 2.46 goals-against average over nine NHL seasons, the last seven of those with Columbus.

He led the league last season with nine shutouts.

The Blue Jackets lost another key player as the Nashville Predators added center Matt Duchene after agreeing to terms on a seven-year contract worth $56 million.

MURRAY STAYING WITH BLUE JACKETS >> The Columbus Blue Jackets re-signed defenseman Ryan Murray to a two-year contract.

Murray, a restricted free agent, was a key blue-liner last year for Columbus despite missing the last 24 games with an injury. He set career highs in assists (28) and points (29).

AHO TO CANADIENS? >> The Montreal Canadiens made the boldest move of the day by signing Carolina restricted free agent Sebastien Aho to a five-year, $42.27 million offer sheet. That leaves the Hurricanes seven days to match the offer or elect to receive Montreal’s first-, second- and third-round picks as compensation.

PERRY HEADED TO STARS >> The Dallas Stars agreed to a deal with veteran winger Corey Perry, who was bought out by the Anaheim Ducks after a knee injury limited him to 10 points in 31 games.

RED WINGS BRING BACK FLIPPULA >> The Detroit Red Wings signed center Valtteri Filppula to a two-year contract, reuniting him for a third time with Steve Yzerman.

The 35-year-old Finn played with Yzerman in Detroit and was signed by him in Tampa Bay.

Yzerman is in his first year as the Red Wings’ general manager.

Filppula had 17 goals and 31 points last season with the New York Islanders. He has scored 185 times and has 494 points over 14 seasons with Detroit, Philadelphia the Lightning and the Islanders.

ZUCCARELLO JOINING WILD >> The Minnesota Wild signed right wing Mats Zuccarello to a five-year, $30 million contract.

Zuccarello has 355 points in 511 NHL regular-season games, including a combined 12 goals and 28 assists in 48 games for the New York Rangers and Dallas Stars in 2018-19.

He played the first eightplus seasons of his career with the Rangers. He signed with them as a 23-year-old free agent in 2010 and had 113 goals and 239 assists in 509 games, until he was traded in February to the Stars. LEAFS TRADE FOR BARRIE >> The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired defenseman Tyson Barrie, forward Alex Kerfoot and a sixth-round pick in the 2020 draft from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Nazem Kadri, defenseman Calle Rosen and its third-round selection in the 2020 draft.

Barrie played 78 games for the Avalanche during the 2018-19 season and had 14 goals and 59 points, which was seventh among NHL defensemen.

In 484 regular-season games, all with Colorado, Barrie has 75 goals and 307 points.

Kerfoot appeared in 78 games for the Avalanche in 2018-19 and had 15 goals and 42 points.

Kadri had spent his entire career with Toronto after being selected seventh overall in 2009.

He had 161 goals and 357 points in 561 regular-season games, including backto-back 30-goal seasons in 2016-17 and 2017-18. GOALIE MOVES >> The New York Islanders let Vezina Trophy finalist Robin Lehner walk and will replace him with veteran goaltender Semyon Varlamov.

The Islanders agreed to terms with Varlamov on a four-year contract. He spent the past eight seasons with the Colorado Avalanche.

Varlamov becomes part of a tandem with Thomas Greiss for the Islanders.

The 27-year-old Lehner agreed to a $5 million, oneyear contract with Chicago, giving the Blackhawks one of the best goaltender tandems in the league. He posted a career-high 25 wins last season with the Islanders. He also had a 2.13 goals-against average, .930 save percentage and six shutouts.

The Blackhawks also have Corey Crawford, who was in goal for Stanley Cup titles in 2013 and 2015 but has struggled with injuries in recent years.

Soccer

VAKO HONORED >> Earthquakes midfielder Vako was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Week.

Vako scored two goals in San Jose’s 2-0 home win over the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday before scoring one goal and an assist in a 3-0 victory over the L.A. Galaxy on Saturday.

On the season Vako has now scored four goals to go with two assists in eight starts.