Categories: Sports

2024 NHL free agency: Predators add Stamkos, Marchessault in blockbuster moves

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

The Nashville Predators made a big splash on Monday when free agency kicked off by signing the Stanley Cup champion forward steven stamkos And Jonathan Marchessault made Smashville the center of attention throughout the NHL on a record-setting, billion-dollar day in a series of moves above $100 million.

Stamkos left Tampa Bay to sign a four-year, $32 million contract with Nashville after 16 seasons, two Cup titles and two additional trips to the Finals.

“I never thought a day like today would happen, but it did,” Stamkos said. “It was definitely a bitter pill to swallow when it started to become true that this wasn’t going to work in Tampa.”

Stamkos headed to the Predators, made his decision and got a call from Marchessault asking if he was also signing with them, worried it was one or the other. “He said, ‘No Stamkos, I’m coming too,'” Stamkos recalled.

Marchessault gets $27.5 million for next five seasons after less than 13 months Earning Playoff MVP Honored in leading Vegas to its first championship. Both will have company: Defenseman Brady Skeey signed with Nashville for seven years and $49 million, and Scott Wedgwood came in as a backup for two years at $3 million. Franchise goaltender Jus Saros,

General Manager Barry Trotz Called it “a big day for the future of our organization.” At $111.5 million, the Predators became the first team to surpass $100 million committed to new players in free agency since the Florida Panthers began building five years ago. the championship they won Last week.

“It’s huge because I think it’s a statement to the rest of the players in the league,” Trotz said. “These players see what we are doing with our franchise. We have a lot to offer and we are determined to win. We are committed to.”

Marchessault was an original member of the expansion Golden Knights in 2017 and helped them reach the finals twice and win the stanley cup Last year. He is coming off a career-high 42 goals and, like Stamkos, was one of the most recognizable faces on his team.

Table of Contents

Toggle

big money deals

On the first day of free agency, teams signed a record $1.12 billion, as more than 100 players changed teams. According to CapFriendly, the total — the most spent in any single day of free agency — is a direct result of the salary cap increasing by $88 million per team, the first major increase since before the pandemic.

“A lot of cash,” Toronto GM Brad Treliving said. “There were some very good players available. You saw that the teams were aggressive and many players changed teams.”

Jake Guentzel He then signed a seven-year, $63 million contract with Tampa Bay. they acquired his rights Carolina over the weekend, opting to trade the 30-year-old Stamkos for a big payday instead of the 34-year-old Stamkos.

“Things weren’t going well in Carolina, and then I heard that Tampa might trade for my rights, so obviously I got really excited because everybody hears what a good team it is and what a great place it is. is,” Guentzel said, which will cap it at $9 million by 2031. “The pedigree behind Tampa Bay, the winning culture – just a lot of high-level players that really make it interesting to come to Tampa.”

– After helping Florida win the Stanley Cup, defenseman Brandon Montour signed a $50 million, seven-year contract with Seattle, and the Kraken signed former Golden Knights center and ’23 champion Chandler Stephenson to a $43.75 million deal for the same term. Added in. The Panthers’ exodus included Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Anthony Stolarz of Toronto, Ryan Lomberg of Calgary and Kevin Stenlund of Utah.

– Vancouver signed former Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk to a seven-year, $38.5 million deal.

– Boston signed center Elias Lindholm to a seven-year contract worth $54.25 million and gave defenseman Nikita Zadorov $30 million over the next six seasons.

– New Jersey continued to build a playoff-eligible roster, adding a pair of defensemen, signing Brett Pace to six years and $33 million and forward Brandon Dillon to three years and $12 million, and forward Stephen Noesen to three years. And signed for $8.25 million.

– San Jose signed forwards Tyler Toffoli to a four-year, $24 million deal and forward Alexander Weinberg to a two-year, $10 million deal.

– Toronto signed defenseman Chris Tanev to a six-year, $27 million contract after acquiring his rights from Dallas.

– The Stars kept forward Matt Duchene for one more season for $3 million and also signed defensemen Ilya Lyubushkin to a three-year, $9.75 million deal and Matt Dumba to a two-year, $7.5 million deal.

– Los Angeles signed former Oilers winger Warren Foegele to three years, $10.5 million, and gave strong defenseman Joel Edmundson to four years and $15.4 million.

– Columbus signed center Sean Monahan to a five-year, $27.5 million contract.

running it back

– Hours after a rainy rally celebrating their Stanley Cup title, the Panthers sounded the buzzer at midnight to re-sign Sam Reinhart. Eight-year contract worth $69 millionAn annual cap hit of $8.625 million for a player coming off a 57-goal regular season.

– Jordan Martinuk re-signed with the Hurricanes on a three-year deal worth $9.15 million.

– Edmonton, which lost to the Panthers in seven games in the Cup final, re-signed depth forwards Corey Perry and Connor Brown for next season. Perry, the only player in NHL history to reach the Finals with five different organizations, received $1.4 million including incentives, while Brown, who had one goal and one assist Signed for $1 million for seven-game series against Florida. The Oilers replaced Foegele with Viktor Arvidsson, giving him $8 million over two years, and also added Jeff Skinner on a one-year, $3 million deal.

busy teams

Chicago and Washington were among the busiest teams.

Blackhawks signed forwards Tyler Bertuzzi (four years, $22 million), Teuvo Teravainen (three years, $16.2 million), Craig Smith (one year, $1 million), defenseman Alec Martinez (one year, $4 million) and goaltender Laurent Brossoit (two years, $6.6 ) million).

capitals, beyond trade for jacob chicrunThey continued to overhaul their roster by signing defenseman Matt Roy to a six-year, $34.5 million contract and signing forwards Brandon Duhaime (two years, $3.7 million) and Taylor Raddish (one year, $1 million).