The Nashville Predators made a big splash when they signed Jonathan Marchessault at the start of NHL free agency on Monday.
The 2023 playoff MVP received $27.5 million over a five-year contract, according to a person familiar with the deal. The Predators also signed defenseman Brady Skei to a seven-year, $49 million deal, according to another person familiar with the deal. Both people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deals haven't been announced.
Marchessault leaves Las Vegas after being an original member of the expansion Golden Knights in 2017, where he helped the team reach two finals and win one Stanley Cup.
The Predators are expected to remain aggressive in their free-agent signing efforts, with former Lightning captain Steven Stamkos also being considered.
Guenzel's signature
Jake Guenzel didn't have to wait until NHL free agency began to find a new team.
Guenzel signed a seven-year, $63 million contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, who acquired his rights from Carolina last weekend. Guenzel will count $9 million against the salary cap through 2031.
“Things didn't work out in Carolina, and then I heard Tampa might be willing to trade my rights, so obviously I was super excited because everybody had been hearing how good a team this is and how good a position they're in,” Guenzel said. “The tradition of Tampa Bay, the winning culture and a lot of the good players really make it appealing to come to Tampa.”
Free agency opened with Guenzel, Stanley Cup-winning goal scorer Sam Reinhart and standout defenseman Chris Tanev all being drafted.
Tampa Bay cleared significant cap space by trading defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to Utah and backup forward Tanner Jeannot to Los Angeles, but the team and Stamkos' camp were unable to come to an agreement to retain the 2008 No. 1 draft pick.
“Part of this job is you never know what's going to happen,” Guenzel said of Stamkos. “He's a Hall of Famer, he's a special player. I have the utmost respect for him. He's just an unbelievable player.”
Redo it
Hours after a rainy rally celebrating their Stanley Cup victory, the Florida Panthers were there before the midnight buzzer to re-sign Sam Reinhart to an eight-year, $69 million contract that will carry a salary cap hit of $8.625 million for the 57-goal regular-season player.
“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 is re-signing with the Hurricanes on a three-year, $9.15 million deal, according to a person familiar with the deal, while Erik Johnson is remaining with the Philadelphia Flyers for next season on a $1 million contract, according to another person familiar with the deal.
The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because terms of the deal had not been made public.
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.
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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