NHL free agents take high-priced hit

By John Wawrow

Aside from defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk and Karl Alzner attracting $20-plus-million contracts, NHL free agency isn’t what it used to be. Not in a stagnant salarycap era.

Though plenty of players switched teams once the signing period opened Saturday, missing were the high-priced, long-term contracts that were once the norm.

Shattenkirk, considered the top free agent available, signed a fouryear, $26.6 million contract with the New York Rangers. And after nine seasons in Washington, Alzner signed a five-year, $23.1 million deal with Montreal.

Alzner acknowledged he had few options beyond Montreal, which was the only city he visited this past week. The expansion Vegas Golden Knights didn’t make a peep after spending the past two weeks stocking their roster through the expansion and entry drafts, and trades. The most lucrative deals inked were a pair of contracts to retain young stars. San Jose Sharks locked up defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic with an eight-year, $56 million contract, and Anaheim signed defenseman Cam Fowler to an eightyear, $52 million deal. The Sharks also extended the contract of goalie Martin Jones by signing him to a six-year, $34.5 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.

BILL BOYCE — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO St. Louis Blues’ Ivan Barbashev (49), of Russia, chases Colorado Avalanche’s Matt Duchene (9) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, in St. Louis. Moves made before and at the draft were just the start of some big shakeups around the NHL going...