The Stanley Cup Final just wrapped up last week, and the NHL offseason is already in full swing. The 2024 NHL Draft is already in the books and was highlighted by the San Jose Sharks selecting Boston University star Macklin Celebrini with the No. 1 pick.
With the draft in the rear-view mirror, free agency officially began Monday at noon ET.
Prior to free agency officially getting underway, the defending Stanley Cup champions checked a rather large item off of their offseason to-do list. Florida signed star forward Sam Reinhart to a eight-year, $69 million contract extension that carries a reported average annual value of $8.5 million.
Reinhart wasn’t the only big name to come off the board on Monday morning. The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed winger Jake Guentzel to a seven-year, $63 million deal ($9.0 million average annual value). Tampa Bay had acquired Guentzel’s exclusive negotiating rights in a trade on Sunday.
CBS Sports will have you covered throughout NHL free agency with all of the latest signings.
Islanders land Anthony Duclair
The New York Islanders have made a splash on the opening day of free agency. According to an announcement from the team, the Islanders have signed veteran forward Anthony Duclair to a four-year contract.
Duclair is coming off of a season in which he scored 24 goals splitting time between the San Jose Sharks and Tampa Bay Lightning. During his NHL career, the 28-year old has tallied 303 points (146 goals & 157 assists).
Kraken sign Chander Stephenson
Another Vegas Golden Knights forward is switching addresses. According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, center Chandler Stephenson has agreed to terms on a seven-year contract with the Seattle Kraken.
Stephenson will earn $6.25 million over the course of the deal.
Stephenson really blossomed into an upper-echelon center since landing with Vegas in the expansion draft back in 2017. The veteran forward tallied 51 points (16 goals & 35 points) and has racked up at least 50 points in each of the past three seasons.
The Kraken have added defenseman Brandon Montour and now Stephenson early on in free agency. Now Seattle is now very strong up the middle with Matty Beniers and Stephenson at the center position in their top six.
Sean Monahan signs with Blue Jackets
A Calgary Flames reunion is happening in Columbus. According to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, center Sean Monahan is signing a five-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets that will be worth $5.5 million annually.
Monahan will reunite with Johnny Gaudreau after spending time together with the Flames. In the 2022 offseason, Gaudreau signed with the Blue Jackets after spending the first nine years of his career in Calgary.
The Blue Jackets are in a rebuild mode, but they’re attempting to surround Gaudreau with some veteran help.
Canucks land Jake DeBrusk
The Vancouver Canucks added a key piece of their forward group as free agency opened. According to an announcement from the team, winger Jake DeBrusk has signed a seven-year deal with the Canucks.
DeBrusk’s contract will be worth $5.5 million on an annual basis.
DeBrusk has spent the first seven years with the Bruins after being a first-round pick of the franchise back in 2015. He tallied 40 points (19 goals, 21 assists) in 80 games during the 2023-24 season.
Hurricanes retain Jaccob Slavin
The Carolina Hurricanes are keeping one of their key defensive cogs in the fold. According to an announcement from the team, defenseman Jaccob Slavic has signed an eight-year contract extension with the Hurricanes.
The deal will carry an average-annual value of $6.5 million.
The 30-year-old blue-liner racked up 37 points (six goals, 31 assists) in 2023-24, reaching the 30-assist mark for the third time in his NHL career.
Predators bolster blue line with Brady Skjei
The Nashville Predators are continuing their shopping spree on the opening day of free agency. According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, the Predators are signing defenseman Brady Skjei to a seven-year contract that will be worth $7 million annually.
Skjei has spent the last four seasons of his career as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes. The veteran blue-liner is fresh off of a season in which he tallied 47 points (13 goals, 34 assists).
The Predators have now added the likes of Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and now Skjei to improve their roster in a big way.
Devils add defensemen Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon
The New Jersey Devils have beefed up their blue line. According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, the Devils have agreed to a deal with defenseman Brett Pesce on a six-year contract. Pesce’s deal will carry an average annual value of $5.5 million per season.
Meanwhile, the Devils also landed defenseman Brenden Dillon on a three-year, $12 million deal.
Elias Lindholm signs with Bruins
The Boston Bruins have made a huge splash to start off the free agency period. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, veteran center Elias Lindholm has signed a seven-year contract with the Bruins.
That deal will worth $7.75 million on an annual basis.
Lindholm played the second of the 2023-24 season with the Vancouver Canucks after the team acquired him from the Calgary Flames prior to the trade deadline. The 29-year-old ended up racking up 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists) splitting time between the Flames and Canucks.
In addition, the Bruins also reportedly signed defenseman Nikita Zadarov, who was one of the top blue-liners on the open market. Zadarov’s deal will be for five years and carries an average annual value of $5 million.
Tyler Toffoli reportedly signs with Sharks
The San Jose Sharks have had quite the weekend. Just days after selecting Boston University star Macklin Celebrini with the No. 1 pick, the Sharks are signing veteran winger Tyler Toffoli to a four-year deal, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
The deal will carry an average-annual value of $6 million per season.
Toffoli landed with the Winnipeg Jets at the trade deadline after being traded from the New Jersey Devils. The star winger tallied 55 points (33 goals, 22 assists) splitting time between the Devils and Jets throughout the 2023-24 season.
Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault likely to land with the Predators
Veteran forward Steven Stamkos looks like he’s going to have a new address next season. According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Stamkos is expected to sign a four-year contract with the Nashville Predators that could be worth $8 million per season.
Stamkos had been negotiating with the Tampa Bay Lightning, but the two sides were unable to come to terms on a new contract.
Stamkos, 34, has spent his entire 16-year NHL career with the Lightning and has registered 1,137 points (555 goals & 582 assists) over that span. He’ll join a Predators team that made the Stanley Cup Playoffs this past season, but were eliminated by the Vancouver Canucks in the opening round in six games.
Meanwhile, the Predators also are likely going to sign veteran winger Jonathan Marchessault, according to LeBrun. Nashville is slated to sign Marchessault to a five-year deal that could be worth $5.5 million per season.
Marchessault was unable to come to terms on a contract extension with the Vegas Golden Knights. The veteran forward has spent the last seven seasons in Vegas after he was selected by the Golden Knights in the expansion draft back in 2017.
Brandon Montour leaving Panthers to sign with Kraken
The Florida Panthers are seeing one of their top defensemen leave the franchise just days after winning the Stanley Cup. Defenseman Brandon Montour is signing a seven-year, $50 million contract with the Seattle Kraken.
Montour’s new deal will carry an average annual value of $7.14 million.
The veteran defenseman was a key cog on Florida’s power-play in recent years. Montour tallied 33 points (eight goals, 25 assists) during the 2023-24 regular season, and added 11 points (three goals eight assists) in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Chris Tanev signs six-year deal with Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed defenseman Chris Tanev to a six-year contract, according to an announcement from the team. The deal will carry an average annual value of $4.5 million.
Toronto had acquired Tanev’s exclusive negotiating rights from the Dallas Stars in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick and prospect Max Ellis over the weekend. Tanev was traded from the Calgary Flames to the Stars at the trade deadline after spending the previous four seasons in Calgary.
After coming over to Dallas, the 34-year-old defenseman tallied five points (one goal, four assists) in 19 games, while adding a pair of assists in 19 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The veteran blue-liner has tallied 190 points (33 goals, 157 assists) in 792 career regular-season games in the NHL.
Jake Guentzel inks seven-year deal with Lightning
Veteran winger Jake Guentzel has signed a seven-year, $63 million contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, according to an announcement from the team. The contract will carry an average annual value of $9 million.
The Lightning acquired Guentzel’s rights from the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick. That allowed the Lightning to negotiate a potential contract with Guentzel prior to the two-time All-Star hitting free agency on Monday.
It was clear Tampa Bay was gearing up for a big-time move as the team traded defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to the Utah Hockey Club during the 2024 NHL Draft this past weekend. In addition, the Lightning also shipped forward Tanner Jeannot to the Los Angeles Kings in a separate deal to clear even more cap space.
Sam Reinhart signs eight-year extension with Panthers
One of the top free agents won’t reach the marketplace. Star forward Sam Reinhart has signed a eight-year, $69 million contract extension to remain with the Florida Panthers.
Reinhart’s new deal will carry an average annual value of $8.5 million.
The Panthers star is fresh off of scoring the game-winning goal against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Reinhart tallied 10 goals during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs after racking up a career-high 57 goals in the regular-season.
Reinhart has been a member of the Panthers since the 2021 offseason, when he was traded from the Buffalo Sabres to South Florida. Reinhart has tallied 243 points (121 goals, 122 assists) during his three seasons with the Panthers, and was in line for a massive payday.
