Biggest names are still unsigned
The waiting game continues for the cream of this year’s NHL free-agent crop.
Star defenceman Alex Pietrangelo and winger Taylor Hall, a former Hart Trophy winner as league MVP, both remained available Saturday as the market moved at a relative snail’s pace compared to the frenzy of recent years, one that often saw general managers racing to the window.
Teams and players are facing the realities brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, which shuttered the 2019-20 season in March before the NHL completed the campaign this summer and fall. Those realities include a flat salary cap of $81.5million (U.S.), and the lack of the usual interview period with potential targets.
Pietrangelo’s time as captain in St. Louis appears over after the Blues inked former Boston Bruins defenceman Torey Krug to a seven-year, $45.5-million contract late Friday, while Hall seems destined to be leaving the Arizona Coyotes following the trade to the desert by the New Jersey Devils last December.
The Edmonton Oilers dipped into the blue-line market Saturday by adding former Maple Leafs defenceman Tyson Barrie on a one-year, $3.75-million pact.
Barrie said a conversation with Oilers captain Connor McDavid helped convince him to choose the Alberta capital as his landing spot after a rough season in Toronto.
“It just wasn’t about money this year, (but) coming in to reestablish myself and show the league that I’m still a pretty good player,” Barrie said on a video conference call. “I think we’ve got a pretty great team. I’m looking forward to getting involved.”
The Oilers also elected to bring back veteran goalie Mike Smith on a one-year, $2-million deal to share netminding duties with Mikko Koskinen despite there being a number of other options available when free agency opened.
Thomas Greiss is another goalie off the board in the crease carousel, signing a twoyear, $7.2-million contract with the Detroit Red Wings. Friday saw a run on netminders changing teams with Jacob Markstrom (Calgary Flames), Braden Holtby (Vancouver Canucks), Henrik Lundqvist (Washington Capitals), Cam Talbot (Minnesota Wild) and Corey Crawford (New Jersey) all finding new homes.
The Tampa Bay Lightning placed winger Tyler Johnson on waivers, but with a cap hit of $5 million each of the next four seasons, he went unclaimed as the Stanley Cup champions continue to look for a way out of their salary crunch. And the Leafs cleared some muchneeded salary cap space by sending forward Andreas Johnsson to the Devils for forward Joey Anderson.
The Colorado Avalanche acquired rugged winger Brandon Saad in a multiplayer trade with Chicago. The Blackhawks will retain $1 million of Saad’s $6million salary next season.
The Avalanche and winger Andre Burakovsky agreed to a two-year deal worth $9.8 million that keeps the restricted free agent in Denver, and the San Jose Sharks inked RFA forward Kevin Lebanc to a fouryear, $18.9-million deal.