Free agents take high-priced hit
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 salary-cap era.
Though plenty of players switched teams once the signing period opened Saturday, missing were the high-priced, longterm 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.
The most lucrative deal inked was to retain a young star, as Anaheim signed defenseman Cam Fowler to an eight-year, $52 million pact.
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.
The cap has barely budged, going from $69 million in 2014-15 to $75 million next season.
The pace of signings didn’t change with more than 30 players switching teams within the first 90 minutes.
Nick Bonino left the Stanley Cup champion Penguins to sign a fouryear, $16.4 million deal with Western Conference champion Nashville. The Predators also acquired defenseman Alexei Emelin from the Vegas Golden Knights for a 2019 thirdround draft pick.
The Penguins restocked by signing defenseman Matt Hunwick and former Sharks goalie Antti Niemi. Hunwick takes over after Ron Hainsey signed with Toronto. Niemi fills the spot vacated after Marc-Andre Fleury was selected by Vegas in the expansion draft. Pittsburgh also re-signed defenseman Justin Schultz, a restricted free agent, to a three-year, $16.5 million deal.
The Wild lost center Martin Hanzal, who signed a three-year, $14.25 million contract with Dallas.
Vancouver signed center Sam Gagner (three years, $9.45 million), defenseman Michael Del Zotto (two years, $6 million) and goalie Anders Nilsson (two years, $5 million).
Justin Williams signed a two-year, $9 million contract to return to Carolina, where he won a Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2004.
Jagr done in Florida: Making official what had been suspected, the Panthers revealed that they are going forward without future Hall of Fame forward Jaromir Jagr.
On a day dominated by free-agent signings — like adding forwards Evgeny Dadonov, Radim Vrbata and ex-Shark Micheal Haley — the biggest news out of Florida was that Jagr is no longer in the team’s plans.
Jagr, 45, was with the Panthers for 2½ seasons. He still wants to play and is coming off a 46-point season, but a source said the sides were too far apart on financial terms.