This year’s class is a bit on the weaker side and a lot of the big names are already off the table. Filip Forsberg re-signed with the Predators on an eight-year deal; Ville Husso was traded to the Red Wings and inked a three-year deal; Bryan Rust and Kris Letang both received new deals with the Penguins.
However, there are still some elite players that have yet to sign a new deal. Will Johnny Gaudreau stay in Calgary, or leave money on the table to go to the northeast? Will Evgeni Malkin really sign with another team and not return to Pittsburgh? Who will land Claude Giroux, John Klingberg and Nazem Kadri?
NHL free agency 2022: Ranking top 50 free agents, best players by position
The Sporting News will be tracking all of the free agent signings and grading the biggest deals of the day.
NHL free agency grades
Johnny Gaudreau signs with the Blue Jackets on a seven-year, $68.25 million contract
Grade: A+
Holy smokes who saw this coming. It seemed like Gaudreau was destined to be either a Devil or an Islander and at the last second, Jarmo Kekalainen and the Blue Jackets swooped in and stole him away. Gaudreau is an elite playmaker and has produced like a top-10 forward in the league for quite some time now. While some are questioning Gaudreau’s decision to sign with Columbus considering it’s not home to him and that was the whole motivation for him not re-signing in Calgary, no one is questioning the deal the Blue Jackets gave him.
Ondrej Palat signs with the Devils on a five-year, $30 million contract
Grade: B-
It was kind of expecting that Palat would get overpaid, and he secures the bag from the Devils after they missed out on Gaudreau. It’s a good signing for New Jersey, who get an all-around excellent player with playoff experience, but he’s not the over-the-top, game-changing player they were hoping to get. The Devils had to make a move with Gaudreau signing with the Blue Jackets, and they have the cap space to afford to overpay Palat.
Darcy Kuemper signs with the Capitals on a five-year, $26.25 million contract
Grade: B+
The last big-name goalie is off the board, as Kuemper is heading to the Capitals as expected. He was one of the better goalies in the league last season, but was shaky at times during the playoffs. There’s definitely some risk here considering at least some of his success came from playing behind an outstanding Avs’ defense. But it’s a good deal for a Washington team looking to make a couple more playoffs runs with Alex Ovechkin still playing.
Andrew Copp signs with the Red Wings on a five-year, $28.125 million contract
Grade: B-
Bringing in Copp solidifies the Red Wings’ second-line center behind Dylan Larkin, and what he brings to the table certainly should gel in nicely with Detroit. Copp raised his value after finding success with the Rangers post-trade deadline. However, he’s basically had less than half of a season and one playoff run as a top-six guy. With this contract, the Red Wings are showing they have confidence that Copp can continue to produce in the top-six, but there is some risk there.
Vincent Trocheck signs with the Rangers on a seven-year, $39.375 million contract
Grade: B
On the surface seven years is a LOT of years. Trocheck is 29 years old and has been a fine center, but that’s a big commitment to a player that at his best, is a second-line center. However, the AAV is at $5.65 million a year, which is very reasonable for a player like Trocheck. The Rangers find their replacement of Ryan Strome, going all-in on Trocheck to play down the middle behind Mika Zibanejad.
Claude Giroux signs with the Senators on a three-year, $19.5 million contract
Grade: A-
As expected, Giroux ends up signing with the Senators. The three years is a bit of a surprise considering he is 34 years old, but $6.5 million a year is a great deal. That gives the Senators an extremely talented top-six forward group as GM Pierre Dorion continues to be aggressive this offseason. The Senators are winning this summer so far.
Jack Campbell signs with the Oilers on a five-year, $25 million contract
Grade: C+
Campbell had a roller coaster of a 2021-22 season. He was sensational early on, but his play greatly decreased by the new year. It gives the Oilers their goalie in net with Mike Smith’s future in question. It’s definitely a risk paying a guy that has very little experience as a No. 1 goalie his kind of money and term.
Josh Manson re-signs with the Avalanche on a four-year, $18 million contract
Grade: C
Manson was great coming over from the Ducks at the deadline to the Avs and certainly played a part in the team winning the Cup. However, he was mostly a third-pairing guy with Colorado. With Cale Makar, Devon Toews and Bowen Byram making up most of the top-four, there’s a chance once Eric Johnson retires that Manson can slide up, but paying a third-pair defenseman $4.5 million a year is an overpay.
Evander Kane re-signs with the Oilers on a four-year, $20.4 million contract
Grade: A
Kane immediately found success with Edmonton after he signed midseason with the Oilers. Playing alongside Connor McDavid, he gave the speedy center an excellent goal-scoring option on the wing who is pain in the butt for opponents to play against. Kane finished the playoffs tied with Nathan MacKinnon for the most goals. The fit makes too much sense for Kane and it doesn’t come at a huge cost for Edmonton.
Evgeni Malkin re-signs with the Penguins on a four-year, $24.4 million contract
Grade: A
Was Malkin really ever going to leave? Roughly 24 hours after it was reported Malkin would test free agency, the two sides agreed on a contract extension. It has the four years and no-move clause that Malkin wanted, and $6.1 AAV is a very good deal for the Penguins. Pittsburgh fans can thank Sidney Crosby, who reportedly helped the two sides come to an agreement.
Rickard Rakell re-signs with the Penguins on a six-year, $30 million contract
Grade: B-
At first, I had this at a C- because the Penguins looked like they were going to lose Malkin. However, with the re-signing of the center, it gives Rakell a playmaker center, which he desperately needs in order to succeed. I still don’t love the length and AAV for a player who’s numbers have declined the last few years, but with Malkin playing as his center, Rakell certainly should see better offensive numbers. He played pretty well after coming over at the deadline.
Valeri Nichushkin re-signs with the Avalanche on an eight-year, $49 million contract
Grade: B
Eight years is a lot for a guy who hadn’t hit 30 points in a season until this year, but offense isn’t Nichushkin’s specialty. He’s a dominant forechecking/defensive forward who is a pain in the butt to play against. The Avs certainly had to overpay a bit to keep Nichushkin, but as long as he is playing with stars like Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen or Gabriel Landeskog, he should continue to produce.
Filip Forsberg re-signs with the Predators on an eight-year, $68 million contract
Grade: A
The Predators are already lacking in top-six skaters and losing their best goal scorer would’ve hurt them over more. Securing Forsberg long-term in Nashville ensures that they have one of the game’s best offensive weapons. The 27-year-old is coming off a career year with 84 points.
NHL free agency tracker: Latest news on all signings
The Sporting News will have all the updates on free agent signings, including grades for the biggest deals.
Sunday, July 17
5 p.m. — RFA Pierre Engvall gets a one-year contract extension from the Maple Leafs.
2 p.m. — The Panthers are brining in Michael Del Zotto on a one-year deal.
1:30 p.m. — The Blues are re-signing RFA Niko Mikkola to a one-year contract.
1 p.m. — Mattias Janmark is headed to the Oilers on a one-year contract.
Saturday, July 16
4 p.m. — After not giving him a qualifying offer at first, the Canadiens do end up re-signing Rem Pitlick to a two-year deal.
Friday, July 15
4:45 p.m. — The Maple Leafs are signing Calle Jarnkrok to a four-year deal.
3:15 p.m. — The Flyers are re-signing Morgan Frost to a one-year contract.
3 p.m. — The Predators are bringing in Zach Sanford on a one-year deal.
Thursday, July 14
5:35 p.m. — The Capitals are signing Dylan Strome to a one-year deal.
5:30 p.m. — The Predators have signed Kevin Lankinen to a one-year contract to be Juuse Saros’ backup.
4:28 p.m. — The Senators sign RFA Josh Norris to an eight-year, $63.6 million contract.
1:05 p.m. — Aaron Dell is returning to the Sharks on a one-year deal. He began his career in San Jose, playing from 2016-2020 with the club.
12:45 p.m. — AHL playoff MVP Josh Leivo gets a one-year contract with the Blues.
10:35 a.m. — The Panthers announced they have signed Rudolfs Balcers to a one-year contract.
10:05 a.m. — The Rangers announced they have signed Ryan Carpenter to a one-year contract.
7:45 a.m. — The Red Wings are signing Mark Pysyk to a on-year contract.
12:25 a.m. — TSN’s Chris Johnston reports Ondrej Palat’s contract with the Devils is for five years and a $6 million AAV.
Wednesday, July 13
11:30 p.m. — ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports that the Devils are nearing agreemen on a five-year contract with former Lightning forward Ondrej Palat.
9 p.m. — The Ducks are signing Ryan Strome to a five-year contract, carrying an AAV of $5 million.
8:30 p.m. — The Flames are re-signing Nikita Zadorov to a two-year contract.
8:15 p.m. — The Golden Knights have also signed Brett Howden and Jonas Rondbjerg to extensions.
8 p.m. — The Lightning announce they have signed Haydn Fleury to a two-year deal.
8 p.m. — As expected, the Golden Knights re-sign Reilly Smith to a three-year, $15 million contract.
7:45 p.m. — The Capitals are bringing back Marcus Johansson on a one-year deal after acquiring him at the trade deadline.
7:10 p.m. — The deal hasn’t been finalized, but it looks like it will be seven years at $9.8 million a year for Gaudreau.
7:06 p.m. — An absolute stunner. Johnny Gaudreau is going not to the Devils, not the Isles but the Blue Jackets.
MORE: Why did Gaudreau leave money on the table and go to Columbus?
6:15 p.m. — Martin Jones is signing a one-year contract with the Kraken.
5:55 p.m. — The Hurricanes are signing Ondrej Kase to a one-year contract.
5:42 p.m. — The Sharks announced three signings — forward Nico Sturm, as well as defensemen Marcus Nutivaara and Matt Benning.
5:21 p.m. — Colin Miller is heading to the Stars on a two-year deal. Intriguing considering Dallas remains interested in re-signing John Klingberg.
5 p.m. — The Flyers are re-signing Justin Braun on a one-year deal.
4:48 p.m. — Trevor Lewis is staying in Calgary as he signs a one-year contract with the Flames.
3:55 p.m. — The Red Wings sign Perron to a two-year, $9 million deal.
3:30 p.m. — The Panthers give Colin White a one-year deal. The forward had been bought out by the Senators earlier this month.
3:16 p.m. — The Red Wings land another forward, signing Dominik Kubalik to a two-year, $5 million contract.
3:10 p.m. — The Jets bring in David Rittich to back up Connor Hellebuyck on a one-year contract.
2:55 p.m. — Two of the Staal brothers are heading to Florida, as Marc Staal signs a one-year deal and Eric Staal gets a professional tryout with the Panthers.
2:53 p.m. — Andre Burakovsky is going to Seattle, as he is signing with the Kraken on a five-year contract.
2:42 p.m. — Ben Chiarot and the Red Wings have an agreement on a four-year, $19 million contract.
2:37 p.m. — Jan Rutta is heading to Pittsburgh as he signs a three-year contract with the Penguins.
2:35 p.m. — The Capitals are adding Eric Gustafsson to the blue line on a one-year deal.
2:32 p.m. — Erik Gudbranson heads to the Blues Jackets, receiving a four-year contract from Columbus.
2:31 p.m. — Nic Deslauriers gets a four-year deal from the Flyers.
2:28 p.m. — The Rangers are signing Louis Domingue as another option behind Shesterkin in net.
2:27 p.m. — The Avalanche are keeping yet another deadline acquisition, signing Artturi Lehkonen to a five-year contract.
2:24 p.m. — The Panthers are signing Nick Cousins to a two-year contract.
2:22 p.m. — The Canadiens announced the three, one-year signings, inking defenseman Madison Bowey and forwards Anthony Richard and Mitchell Stephens.
2:19 p.m. — Blackhawks are signing Colin Blackwell to a two-year deal.
2:17 p.m. — Noel Acciari signs a one-year contract with the Blues.
2:15 p.m. — Oskar Lindblom is expected to sign with the Sharks. He was bought out by the Flyers before free agency began.
2:09 p.m. — After previously been reported that he was close to a deal with the Hurricanes, Mason Marchment pivots and signs a four-year deal with the Stars.
2:08 p.m. — Caps bring in Kuemper’s backup as they sign Charlie Lindgren to a three-year deal.
1:43 p.m. — As expected, Darcy Kuemper is signing with the Capitals on a five-year deal.
1:33 p.m. — Brendan Lemieux and the Kings agree on a one-year contract.
1:31 p.m. — The Penguins sign another goalie, inking Dustin Tokarski to a one-year contract.
1:26 p.m. — And now it’s Erik Cernak who gets an eight-year, $41.6 extension from the Lightning. Julien BriseBois takes care of all three of his RFAs.
1:22 p.m. — Make it two Lightning RFAs getting extensions today, as Anthony Cirelli gets an eight-year, $50 million contract.
1:21 p.m. — Canucks are signing Dakota Joshua on a one-year contract.
1:13 p.m. — One of Tampa’s three RFAs get signed to a massive extension. Mikhail Sergachev gets eight-year, $68 million extension.
1:12 p.m. — Brett Kulak is re-signing in Edmonton on a four-year contract. He was acquired by the Oilers at the deadline.
1:07 p.m. — The Maple Leafs are giving Adam Gaudette a one-year contract.
1:05 p.m. — Frank Vatrano is heading out west, as he and the Ducks have a deal for three years, at $3.65 million per year.
1:03 p.m. — Vladislav Namestnikov is heading to Tampa Bay on a one-year contract. He started his career with the Lightning, playing with the club from 2013-2018.
12:57 p.m. — The Rangers have the backup for Igor Shesterkin, as they sign Jaroslav Halak to a one-year deal.
12:55 p.m. — Ilya Mikheyev is heading to the Canucks, as the two sides agreed on a four-year, $19 million contract
12:51 p.m. — The Sabres sign another goalie after bringing back Craig Anderson, giving Eric Comrie a two-year deal.
12:48 p.m. — The Red Wings are signing defenseman Olli Maatta on a one-year deal.
12:47 p.m. — The Coyotes are making a trio of signings, bringing in forward Nick Bjugstad and defensemen Josh Brown and Troy Stetcher.
12:45 p.m. — Ilya Lyubushkin is heading to the Sabres on a two-year deal.
12:44 p.m. — The Blackhawks are signing forwards Andreas Athanasiou and Max Domi to one-year contracts. It gives them players that they can flip at the deadline for assets.
12:33 p.m. — The Red Wings and Andrew Copp have agreed to a five-year, $28.125 million deal.
12:29 p.m. — The Rangers and Vincent Trocheck have agreed to a seven-year, $39.375 million deal.
12:28 p.m. — The Maple Leafs are signing Nicolas Aube-Kubel to a one-year deal. He was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Avalanche, making him a UFA.
12:20 p.m. — The Flames and Kevin Rooney have agreed to a two-years, $2.6 million contract.
12:18 p.m. — The Canucks are signing Curtis Lazar to a three-year, $3 million deal.
12:13 p.m. — Nick Leddy is going to return on a four-year deal to the Blues. He was acquired by St. Louis at the deadline. It comes in at a total of $16 million.
12:10 p.m. — Justin Schutlz is reportedly heading to the Kraken on a two-year deal, with the total around $3 million.
12:08 p.m. — The Devils are signing defenseman Brendan Smith on a two-year deal.
12:05 p.m. — The deal for Samsonov with the Maple Leafs is reportedly going to be a one-year, $1.8 million deal.
12:05 p.m. — Ian Cole and the Lightning have reportedly agreed to a one-year deal.
12 p.m. — Claude Giroux and his hometown Senators have agreed to a deal, three-years at $6.5 million AAV.
12 p.m. — The Oilers and Jack Campbell have agreed to a five-year, $25 million deal.
11:45 a.m. — The Sabres and Victor Olofsson have agreed to a two-year, $9.5 million deal. Olofsson was an RFA this summer and gets a bridge deal before he becomes a UFA in 2024.
11:10 a.m. — The Avalanche are re-signing Josh Manson on a four-year, $18 million deal. He was acquired at the deadline from the Ducks and had been rumored to potentially be returning to Anaheim, but he stays in Denver.
10:30 a.m. — The Avs are bringing another veteran forward back as Darren Helm is re-signing on a one-year deal.
1:45 a.m. — The Oilers keep Evander Kane in Alberta on a four-year deal worth $5.25 per season, Kane announces.
Tuesday, July 11
11 p.m. — The Penguins are keeping star center Evgeni Malkin in Pittsburgh through the 2025-26 season, as the team announced he agreed to a four-year, $24.4 million extension.
5 p.m. — The Kings hand out a one-year extension to Alex Edler. He gets the veteran minimum as he enters next season at 36 years old.
3:30 p.m — The Sabres are bringing back Vinnie Hinostroza on a one-year extension.
Monday, July 10
10 p.m. — Rickard Rakell and the Penguins agree to a six-year, $30 million deal.
8 p.m. — The Maple Leafs have acquired goalie Matt Murray from the Ottawa Senators along with two draft picks for future considerations.
6 p.m. — Valeri Nichushkin and the Avalanche have agreed to an eight-year, $49 million extension, keeping the big winger in Colorado.
2022 NHL free agents: Tracking top players by position
Here is a look at each position and who the top free agents are that could be available to fill that role.
Center
- Claude Giroux, UFA 2. Nazem Kadri, UFA 3. Patrice Bergeron, UFA 4. Vincent Trocheck, UFA 5. Evgeni Malkin, UFA 6. Pierre-Luc Dubois, RFA 7. Andrew Copp, UFA 8. Ryan Strome, UFA 9. Josh Norris, RFA 10. Dylan Strome, UFA
Left Wing
- Johnny Gaudreau, UFA 2. Jason Robertson, RFA 3. Ondrej Palat, UFA 4. Jesper Bratt, RFA 5. Andre Burakovsky, UFA 6. Evander Kane, UFA 7. Max Domi, UFA 8. David Perron, UFA 9. Andrew Mangiapane, RFA 10. Artturi Lehkonen, RFA
Right Wing
- Matthew Tkachuk, RFA 2. Patrik Laine, RFA 3. Valeri Nichushkin, UFA 4. Rickard Rakell, UFA 5. Reilly Smith, UFA 6. Ilya Mikheyev, UFA 7. Victor Olofsson, RFA 8. Phil Kessel, UFA 9. Jesse Puljujarvi, RFA 10. Kailer Yamamoto, RFA
Defenseman
- John Klingberg, UFA 2. Noah Dobson, RFA 3. Josh Manson, UFA 4. Ben Chiarot, UFA 5. Nick Leddy, UFA 6. P.K. Subban, UFA 7. Colin Miller, UFA 8. Brett Kulak, UFA 9. Calvin de Haan, UFA 10. Olli Maatta, UFA
Goalie
- Jake Oettinger, RFA 2. Darcy Kuemper, UFA 3. Jack Campbell, UFA 4. Braden Holtby, UFA 5. Kevin Lankinen, UFA
