Winnipeg Jets
The Winipeg Jets were busy leading up to the trade deadline when they traded Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings and then bought out Blake Wheeler.
During free agency day, they brought back Laurent Brossoit to the team on a one-year deal worth $1.75 Million.
Brossoit brings his Stanley Cup experience to Winnipeg after playing three seasons for the organization back from 2018-2021.
Nashville Predators
Freshly hired GM Barry Trotz made some head scratcher moves heading to the end of June when he traded Ryan Johansen and retained half his salary. He then bought out the final three years of Duchene’s contract that carries a cap hit in two of the next three years near what it would have been had he been playing for the team.
In response to the subtractions, Trotz signed former Toronto Maple Leafs Ryan O’Reilly to a four-year deal worth $4.5 Million per season and shocked the hockey world by giving Luke Schenn $2.75 Million per season for three years.
Trotz now has seven defenseman making at least $2 Million and O’Reilly looks to be the teams top center.
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are going through a rebuild and it was evident after they sold off a lot of their veterans at last year’s trade deadline.
Malcolm Subban, along with three others had minor league contracts signed with the club. Subban was the most notable name and he spent the entire 2022-23 season in the AHL.
Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes jumped into the Toronto Maple Leafs market by signing former fan favourite Alexander Kerfoot to a two-year deal worth $3.5 Million per season.
Kerfoot is the player known that the Tornto Maple Leafs got for Nazem Kadri and struggled to match his output. Kerfoot scored 40-goals over four seasons and it was rumoured he and the Leafs were trying to work out a contract, but they couldn’t make the money work.
The Coyotes are also hoping third time is a charm by bringing back another former Leafs, Alex Galchenyuk as they signed him to a league minimum deal.
Chicago Blackhawks
If you were to give an award to the team with the most bizarre contracts signed it would go to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Leading up to free agency, the Hawks acquired the rights to veterans Corey Perry and Nick Foligno who both signed identical one-year $4 Million deals.
Both players are good veterans that are better suited for the fourth lines, but can still pot in some goals; Perry collected 12 this past season with Foligno notching 10.
Perry comes with a ton of playoff experience as he has won a cup and made it to the finals three times, while Foligno has made it out of the first round just once in his career.
On Saturday, the Hawks also added Ryan Donato by signing him to a two-year deal worth $2 Million per season after scoring 30-goals combined over the previous two seasons in Seattle.