The Nashville Predators made some big splashes when NHL free agency opened on Monday by signing Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skei.
Stamkos announced he would sign with the Predators after 16 seasons with Tampa Bay, which included two Stanley Cup titles and two finals appearances. It was not immediately clear what kind of contract the 34-year-old forward would receive in terms of length or value.
Marchessault, the 2023 playoff MVP and another standout veteran forward, signed a five-year contract worth $27.5 million, according to a person familiar with the deal. The Predators also signed former Carolina defenseman Brady Skei to a seven-year contract worth $49 million, according to another person familiar with the deal. Both people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been announced.
Marchessault was an original member of the expansion Vegas Golden Knights in 2017 and helped the team reach two finals and win one Stanley Cup. He scored a career-high 42 goals.
Huge deal
Jake Guenzel signed a seven-year, $63 million contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning after the team acquired his rights from the Hurricanes last weekend.
“Things didn't work out in Carolina, and then I heard Tampa might trade my rights, and I got really excited because everybody's heard how good this team is and how well positioned they are,” said Guenzel, who will count $9 million against the salary cap through 2031. “The tradition of Tampa Bay, the winning culture, they have a lot of good players, so coming to Tampa was really appealing.”
Tampa Bay traded defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to Utah and reserve forward Tanner Jeannot to Los Angeles to acquire Guenzel rather than retain Stamkos. The Lightning still have about $7 million left over, and general manager Julien Brisebois was expected to spend it on another forward in free agency or a trade.
Defenseman Brandon Montour, fresh off helping Florida win the Stanley Cup, signed a seven-year, $50 million contract with Seattle, while cross-border rival Vancouver signed former Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk to a seven-year, $38.5 million deal.
Boston signed defenseman Nikita Zadorov to a six-year, $30 million contract, according to a person familiar with the deal. San Jose signed Tyler Toffoli to a four-year, $24 million deal, according to another person familiar with the deal. Chicago signed Tyler Bertuzzi to a four-year, $22 million deal, according to a third person.
All three spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.
Redo it
Hours after a rainy rally to celebrate their Stanley Cup victory, the Panthers beat the midnight buzzer to re-sign Sam Reinhart to an eight-year, $69 million contract that will bring the player, after scoring 57 regular-season goals, a salary-cap hit of $8.625 million.
“Since arriving at South Florida, Sam has demonstrated the ability to be a scoring threat while maintaining a strong defense,” general manager Bill Zito said of Reinhart, who also scored Florida's championship-winning goal. “His versatility and value as a player are only surpassed by his outstanding character and work ethic, and we are pleased to have him continue to be a part of our team.”
After Patrick Kane re-signed with Detroit on Sunday night, several other teams kept key players on their roster.
Jordan Martinook will re-sign with the Hurricanes on a three-year, $9.15 million deal, according to a person familiar with the deal, while Erik Johnson will sign with the Philadelphia Flyers on a $1 million contract next season.
Edmonton, which lost to the Panthers in seven games in the Cup final, re-signed versatile reserve forward Connor Brown to a one-year, $1 million contract. Brown, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in October 2022, had one goal and one assist in the final.
Capitals moves
Washington continued its massive roster overhaul by acquiring Jakob Chychrun from Ottawa in exchange for fellow defenceman Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round pick.
The Capitals acquired centre Pierre-Luc Dubois and goaltender Logan Thompson in separate trades, and also signed defenceman Matt Roy and reserve forward Brandon Duhaime.
Tanev of Toronto
Toronto, who traded for Tanev's rights during draft weekend, quickly signed him to a six-year, $27 million contract that will count $6.5 million against the salary cap through 2030.
“We all know how tough it is to play against him, how gutsy and competitive he is,” forward Max Domi, who re-signed with the Leafs on a four-year deal Sunday, said of Tanev. “He's obviously going to be a big part of this team for a long time and be a big part of our success.”
The Leafs also signed restricted free agent goaltender Joseph Wahl to a three-year contract extension worth just under $11 million.
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