NHL free agency live updates: Gaudreau chooses the Blue Jackets
Our updated tracker featuring a list of every player signed, along with analysis on the biggest deals and buzz on what…
ESPN staff
The 2022 NHL offseason is in full swing, as the draft is now in the rearview mirror and teams look to mold their rosters via trades and re-signings.
While the start of free agency is traditionally on July 1, it began this year on July 13 because of the shifted schedule of the 2021-22 season.
Although the key dates have changed, the goal of free agency has not: GMs around the NHL hope to land the game-changing veteran who can boost their contention status or bolster their core with the glue that builds championships.
Here’s our continuously updated tracker, featuring a list of every player signed, along with analysis on the biggest deals and buzz on what could happen next. Note that the newest deals are at the top.
More: Grades on big signings
Winners, losers of Day 1
Trade grades: Burns, Pacioretty, more
Draft recap: Every pick | Takeaways
July 13
As the Ducks continue their build to contention, they’ll do so for the foreseeable future with forward Ryan Strome in the mix, signing him to a five-year, $25 million contract.
The Flames bid adieu to Johnny Gaudreau, but did welcome back another player from their 2021-22 roster, inking defenseman Nikita Zadorov to a two-year, $7.5 million deal.
The Golden Knights cleared some cap space earlier in the day with the Max Pacioretty trade, and used some of it to re-sign forward Reilly Smith to a three-year, $15 million deal.
Perhaps the biggest free agent domino has finally fallen, as winger Johnny Gaudreau is signing a seven-year, $68.25 million contract with the Blue Jackets.
The Kraken add a pair of veterans, inking defenseman Justin Schultz (two years, $6 million) and goaltender Martin Jones (one year, $2 million).
The Senators’ roster moves continue, as forward Connor Brown has been traded to the Capitals for a 2024 second-round pick.
A somewhat stunning trade in the late afternoon ET, as the Golden Knights are sending Max Pacioretty and Dylan Coghlan to the Hurricanes for future considerations. Grades for the trade.
The Hurricanes are adding veteran forward Ondrej Kase to a one-year, $1.5 million deal.
Former Avalanche center Nico Sturm has moved on to San Jose, agreeing to terms on a three-year, $6 million deal with the Sharks.
The Penguins added to their forward depth, adding Josh Archibald by way of a one-year, $900,000 agreement.
The Stars have added to their blue-line group, signing Colin Miller to a two-year, $3.7 million contract.
Forward Nicolas Deslauriers has chosen the Flyers as his next team, signing a four-year, $7 million pact, and veteran defenseman Justin Braun has also chosen the Flyers, signing a one-year, $1.75 million deal.
The Kraken are signing a trio of players to one-year, $750,000 deals: forward Jesper Froden, goaltender Magnus Hellberg and defenseman Brogan Rafferty.
Veteran forward David Perron will not be returning to the Blues for 2022-23 — at least at the start of the season. Instead, he’s signing a two-year, $9.5 million deal with the Red Wings.
Goaltender Pheonix Copley has moved on to the Kings, inking a one-year, $825,000 deal to head to L.A.
The Blackhawks decided not to give forward Dominik Kubalik a qualifying offer this offseason, and it didn’t take him long to find a new team, signing a two-year, $5 million deal with the Red Wings.
The Jets have found their backup to Connor Hellebuyck, inking David Rittich to a one-year, $900,000 pact.
Defenseman Kale Clague has moved on to the Sabres, inking a one-year, $750,000 contract.
The Kraken have added a big piece to their top-six forward group, signing former Avalanche winger Andre Burakovsky to a five-year, $27.5 million contract.
The Panthers are adding multiple Staal brothers! Defenseman Marc Staal is signing a one-year, $750,000 contract, while center Eric Staal is heading to Florida on a professional tryout deal.
The Flyers waived Oskar Lindblom this week, but he didn’t spend long on the market, inking a two-year, $5 million deal with the Sharks.
Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman snags another veteran defenseman to help out his youngsters, inking Ben Chiarot to a four-year, $19 million deal.
Former Blackhawks defenseman Erik Gustafsson is headed to D.C., inking a one-year, $800,000 contract with the Capitals.
Defenseman Erik Gudbranson is on to another team, agreeing to a four-year, $16 million pact with the Blue Jackets.
Fresh off another long playoff run with the Lightning, defenseman Jan Rutta is agreeing to a three-year, $8.25 million deal with the Penguins.
After a heroic postseason run with the Avalanche, Artturi Lehkonen is returning by way of a five-year, $22.5 million contract.
The Blues are adding to their forward group, signing Noel Acciari to a one-year, $1.25 million contract.
Nick Cousins is heading on down to Florida, agreeing to a two-year, $2.2 million deal with the Panthers.
After a breakout year with the Panthers, Mason Marchment is signing a four-year, $18 million contract with the Stars.
Veteran Nick Bjugstad is heading to the desert, inking a one-year, $900,000 deal with the Coyotes.
Another big domino has fallen in the goalie market: Stanley Cup winner Darcy Kuemper is signing a five-year, $26.25 million pact with the Capitals. The Caps are also adding Kuemper’s backup, signing Charlie Lindgren to a three-year, $3.3 million deal. Grade for the Kuemper deal.
The Blues have found their new backup to goaltender Jordan Binnington, inking Thomas Greiss to a one-year, $1.25 million contract.
The Red Wings bring in another veteran defenseman for their blue-line group, signing Olli Maatta to a one-year, $2.25 million deal.
The Kings will stay in the Brendan Lemieux business, re-signing the forward to a one-year, $1.35 million deal.
The Sabres have added former Jets goalie Eric Comrie to their goalie group, inking him to a two-year, $3.6 million deal.
Dustin Tokarski is joining the Penguins, signing a one-year, $775,000 contract.
Another trio of big contract extensions: The Lightning have agreed to terms on an eight-year, $68 million continuation for Mikhail Sergachev, an eight-year, $50 million deal with Anthony Cirelli, and an eight-year, $41.6 million contract with Erik Cernak.
After coming over to the Oilers at the deadline, defenseman Brett Kulak will stay on in Edmonton by way of a four-year, $11 million deal.
The prodigal forward has returned! Vladislav Namestnikov is signing a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Lightning.
After a big postseason, Frank Vatrano is heading to the Ducks, signing a three-year, $10.95 million contract.
Forward Adam Gaudette will be skating for the Maple Leafs franchise in 2022-23, inking a one-year, $750,000 pact.
Another trade! The Hurricanes are trading for Brent Burns and Lane Pederson, sending Steven Lorentz, Eetu Makiniemi and a conditional 2023 third-round pick to the Sharks. Grades for the trade.
Former Maple Leafs forward Ilya Mikheyev is heading to the Canucks via a four-year, $19 million pact.
A first-round pick in 2015, Colin White is heading to Florida by way of a one-year, $1.2 million deal.
The Rangers have found their veteran backup to Igor Shesterkin, inking Jaroslav Halak to a one-year, $1.55 million contract.
The Blackhawks made a lot of subtractions this offseason, but are adding forwards Max Domi and Andreas Athanasiou on one-year, $3 million contracts.
Veteran defenseman Nick Leddy is heading back to St. Louis via a four-year, $16 million pact.
As the Coyotes head to a new arena in 2022-23, they’ll do so with defenseman Troy Stecher, as he is signing a one-year, $1.25 million deal.
Defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin is joining the Sabres, agreeing to terms on a two-year, $5.5 million contract.
The Rangers got a good look at Vincent Trocheck during their playoff series against the Hurricanes, and are signing him to a seven-year, $39.375 million contract. Grade for the deal.
1:17
After Emily Kaplan reports Vincent Trocheck’s seven-year deal with the Rangers, Brian Boucher explains why he likes the move.
After a strong showing in the playoffs for the Rangers, center Andrew Copp is joining the Red Wings via a five-year, $28.125 million deal. Grade for the deal.
After winning the Cup with the Avalanche, forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel is joining the Maple Leafs on a one-year, $1 million pact.
It’s not just free agents signing big deals; Robert Thomas has reached agreement on an eight-year, $65 million extension with the Blues.
The Flames make their first deal of the post-Johnny Gaudreau era, inking forward Kevin Rooney to a two-year, $2.6 million pact.
After spending the past three seasons in the Atlantic Division, British Columbia native Curtis Lazar signs a three-year, $3 million deal with the Canucks.
The Devils are adding to their blue-line group, signing Brendan Smith to a two-year, $2.2 million contract.
There are a lot of moving parts for the Lightning this offseason, and one piece moving in is veteran defenseman Ian Cole, by way of a one-year, $3 million deal.
The Claude Giroux Watch is over: the veteran forward is signing with the Senators on a three-year, $19.5 million deal. Grade for the deal.
1:08
Brian Boucher and Kevin Weekes believe Claude Giroux’s veteran leadership will be an asset to the Senators.
Goaltending was a focus for the Oilers this offseason, and they are signing former Maple Leafs goalie Jack Campbell to a five-year, $25 million pact.
Toronto has found its tandem partner for Matt Murray, inking Ilya Samsonov to a one-year, $1.8 million contract.
Forward Victor Olofsson set a career high in points in 2021-22, and the Sabres are bringing him back via a two-year, $9.5 million contract.
A trade! The New Jersey Devils have traded Pavel Zacha to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Erik Haula. The deal is one for one.
Though there was some buzz that defenseman Josh Manson would explore the market, he is re-signing with the Avalanche on a four-year, $18 million contract.
In Tampa Bay, Ondrej Palat is going to test the market but doesn’t sound like the door is closed for him with the Lightning.
GM Julien BriseBois is always in for a surprise, but one of his big needs today is a left shot defenseman to replace Ryan McDonagh.
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) July 13, 2022
We don’t know where Johnny Gaudreau will be signing this offseason, but it will not be with the Calgary Flames, the only team for which he has played during his nine-season NHL career.
There has been heavy speculation that the Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders could be among the suitors for Gaudreau, a native of Salem, a town in southern New Jersey. It’s expected his free agent contract could cross the $10 million average annual value threshold. Only 14 players make $10 million or more against the salary cap in the NHL.
Johnny Gaudreau & Nazem Kadri should both land massive deals.
Philly is Gaudreau’s top choice but Flyers need to clear $$. They’ve been trying to move JVR’s contract.. If not, Gaudreau may sign with another Metro team.
NYR among top suitors for Kadri, but he’ll have options.
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) July 13, 2022
NHL free agency begins today! As I reported on @sportscenter, the goalie market is absolutely insane.. but carousel should stop for a few teams today.
According to multiple sources, the expectation is that Darcy Kuemper will sign in Washington to be the Caps new starter.
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) July 13, 2022
One of the big free agent scorers is off the board: Evander Kane will be returning to the Oilers by way of a four-year, $20.5 million contract.
July 12
Evgeni Malkin will not be leaving Pittsburgh after all. The Penguins have re-signed the veteran to a four-year, $24.4 million pact.
After re-signing goaltender Craig Anderson earlier this offseason, the Sabres add fellow netminder Malcolm Subban for one year, $850,000.
The Kraken bring back restricted free agent forward Alexander True via a one-year, $750,000 contract.
Pittsburgh continues its Pierre-Olivier Joseph relationship, signing the restricted free agent defenseman to a two-year, $1.65 million deal.
Stefan Noesen is back with the Hurricanes franchise, inking a two-year, $1.52 million contract.
Veteran defenseman Alexander Edler will be returning to the Kings for 2022-23, as the two sides come to an agreement on a one-year, $750,000 contract.
On the eve of free agency, the Sabres reach a one-year, $1.7 million agreement with forward Vinnie Hinostroza.
July 11
Rickard Rakell‘s tenure with the Penguins will continue beyond his post-deadline work in 2021-22, as the two sides agree on a six-year, $30 million contract.
One big free agent for the Stanley Cup champs will be back on the roster as they go for a repeat. Valeri Nichushkin has signed an eight-year, $49 million deal.
The Penguins agree to terms on a one-year, $750,000 contract with restricted free agent forward Alexander Nylander.
Veteran free agent goaltender Maxime Lagace has agreed to a one-year deal with the Lightning.
The Kings re-up with two of their restricted free agent forwards: Lias Andersson (one year, $750,000) and Carl Grundstrom (two years, $2.6 million).
July 10
Restricted free agent defenseman Jacob Bryson agrees to terms on a two-year, $3.7 million deal with the Sabres.
After arriving in Colorado via trade from the Rangers, goaltender Alexandar Georgiev inks a three-year, $10.2 million contract.
The Avalanche come to terms on a two-year, $1.525 million contract with defenseman Jacob MacDonald.
July 9
One of the biggest potential free agents comes off the board, as Filip Forsberg agree with the Predators on an eight-year, $68 million contract.
July 8
The Capitals re-sign restricted free agent defenseman Lucas Johansen to a two-year, $1.525 million deal.
The Kings do not allow forward Adrian Kempe to explore the market, agreeing to a four-year, $22 million contract with the forward.
After trading for defenseman Tony DeAngelo, the Flyers ink him to a two-year, $10 million contract.
The Panthers make it official with two returning players: RFA defenseman Lucas Carlsson (one year, $800,000) and forward Eetu Luostarinen (two years, $3 million).
Ville Husso‘s day started as a Blue, but it ended with a three-year, $14.25 million deal with the Red Wings after Detroit traded for the netminder.
July 7
One of the best potential free agent goaltenders is off the market: Marc-Andre Fleury agreed to a two-year, $7 million deal with the Wild.
The Penguins will stay in the Kris Letang business, as the defenseman agreed to a six-year, $36.6 million contract.
Defenseman Dillon Heatherington will stick around in Ottawa a while longer, having agreed to a two-year, $1.35 million deal.
July 6
The Wild liked what they saw out of defenseman Jacob Middleton this season and have re-signed him to a three-year, $7.35 million deal.
Adam Boqvist‘s time with the Blue Jackets will continue, as the restricted free agent defenseman signs a three-year, $7.8 million contract.
July 5
Gritty forward Andrew Cogliano will be back with the Stanley Cup champs, inking a one-year, $1.25 million deal.
Restricted free agent forward Aleksi Heponiemi will stick with the Panthers, signing a one-year, $750,000 contract.
Pittsburgh secures its goaltending depth via a two-year, $3.6 million contract extension for Casey DeSmith.
The Rangers waste no time in getting restricted free agent forward Julien Gauthier back in the fold, agreeing to a one-year, $800,000 pact.
July 1
After a superb tryout this spring and early summer, Nicholas Paul will be back with the Lightning for the foreseeable future, agreeing to a seven-year, $22.05 million contract.
The Canucks get a head start on the offseason, signing a quartet of restricted free agents: Brock Boeser (three years, $19.95 million), William Lockwood (one year, $750,000), Jack Rathbone (two years, $1.7 million) and Noah Juulsen (one year, $750,000).
The Kings brought back restricted free agents Matt Villalta (one year, $787,500) and Frederic Allard (one year, $750,000).
June 30
Dallas continues its relationship with goaltender Scott Wedgewood, agreeing to a two-year, $2 million extension.
Defenseman Darren Raddysh returns to the Lightning via a two-year, $1.525 million deal.
The Sabres and goaltender Craig Anderson agree to terms on a one-year, $1.5 million contract.
June 29
Following their trade to bring in Kevin Fiala, the Kings sign him to a seven-year, $55.125 million deal.
The Sabres come to terms on a one-year, $750,000 agreement with forward Sean Malone.
June 27
The Canucks come to agreements with Sheldon Dries (two years, $1.525 million), Guillaume Brisebois (one year, $750,000) and John Stevens (one year, $750,000).
Restricted free agent defenseman Timothy Liljegren returns to the Maple Leafs via a two-year, $2.8 million deal.
The Panthers bring back restricted free agent defenseman Matt Kiersted on a two-year, $1.525 million pact.
June 24
Restricted free agent forward Cody Glass sticks in Smashville via a one-year, $874,125 contract.
June 23
The Flyers agree to terms on a two-year, $1.55 million deal with restricted free agent goalie Felix Sandstrom.
June 22
The Wild will continue their relationship with restricted free agent defenseman Connor Dewar via a two-year, $1.6 million deal.
June 20
Washington comes to terms with two restricted free agents: Beck Malenstyn (two years, $1.525 million) and Brett Leason (two years, $1.55 million).
June 17
Restricted free agent forward Sammy Blais returns to the Rangers by way of a one-year deal.
June 15
The Blue Jackets have brought back restricted free agent goalie Daniil Tarasov on a three-year, $3.15 million contract.
Restricted free agent forward Dylan Gambrell inks a one-year, $950,000 extension with the Senators.
June 14
The Kings have signed a two-year, $1.575 million contract with forward T.J. Tynan.
July 13
Restricted free agent forward Brad Malone returns to the Oilers by way of a two-year, $1.525 million contract.
The Predators have brought back restricted free agent defenseman Jeremy Lauzon with a four-year, $8 million deal.
July 7
Denis Gurianov will be a Star for at least one more season, signing a one-year, $2.9 million pact with the club.
The Blue Jackets have come to terms on a two-year, $8 million deal with restricted free agent forward Jack Roslovic.
May 22
Veteran defenseman Mark Giordano will give it another go with the Maple Leafs, agreeing to a two-year, $1.6 million extension.
May 21
Bryan Rust has become a dependable top-six forward for the Penguins, and he’ll continue his tenure with the club after agreeing to a six-year, $30.75 million deal.
May 20
The Blue Jackets have signed up for another season of goaltending from Joonas Korpisalo, agreeing to a one-year, $1.3 million deal.
May 16
Restricted free agent defenseman Jakub Zboril is back with the Bruins via a two-year, $2.275 million contract.
May 9
San Jose re-signs two free agents: forward Alexander Barabanov (two years, $5 million) and defenseman Jaycob Megna (two years, $1.625 million).
The Kraken get their offseason rolling, signing forward Max McCormick to a two-year, $15.25 pact.
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