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Day One Free Agent Recap: Central Division

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This year’s July 1 was a doozy, with over 150 signings taking place on the opening day of free agency. With most hockey fans still trying to work through and process their team’s signings, we’re breaking down the long list of signings by division. You can check back and see what teams in the Atlantic Division and Metropolitan Division did.

Here, you can see how Central Division teams have fared on the open market so far:

Arizona Coyotes

D Troy Stecher (one year, $1.1MM)
F Alex Galchenyuk (one year, two-way, $775K)
F Travis Barron (one year, two-way, $775K)
F Jason Zucker (one year, $5.3MM)
F Alexander Kerfoot (two years, $7MM, $3.5MM AAV)
F Nick Bjugstad (two years, $4.2MM, $2.1MM AAV)
G Matt Villalta (one year, two-way, $775K)
*D Montana Onyebuchi (two years, two-way, $1.9MM, $950K AAV)
*F John Leonard (one year, two-way, $775K)

*July 2 signings

Chicago Blackhawks

F Ryan Donato (two years, $4MM, $2MM AAV)

Colorado Avalanche

D Corey Schueneman (one year, two-way, $775K AAV)
F Andrew Cogliano (one year, $825K)
F Miles Wood (six years, $15MM, $2.5MM AAV)
D Bowen Byram (two years, $7.7MM, $3.85MM AAV)
F Jonathan Drouin (one year, $825K)
D Jack Ahcan (two years, two-way, $1.55MM, $775K AAV)
G Arvid Holm (one year, two-way, $775K)
F Chris Wagner (one year, two-way, $775K)
F Riley Tufte (one year, two-way, $775K)
*G Justus Annunen (one year, two-way, $775K)
*D Jack Johnson (one year, $775K)

*July 2 signings

Dallas Stars

F Matt Duchene (one year, $3MM)
D Joel Hanley (two years, $1.575MM, $787.5K AAV)
F Craig Smith (one year, $1MM)
F Sam Steel (one year, $850K)
*D Gavin Bayreuther (one year, $775K)

*July 2 signing

Minnesota Wild

F Vinni Lettieri (two years, two-way, $1.55MM, $775K AAV)
F Jake Lucchini (one year, two-way, $775K)

Nashville Predators

F Gustav Nyquist (two years, $6.37MM, $3.185MM AAV)
D Luke Schenn (three years, $8.25MM, $2.75MM AAV)
F Cody Glass (two years, $5MM, $2.5MM AAV)
F Anthony Angello (two years, two-way, $1.55MM, $775K AAV)
F Ryan O’Reilly (four years, $18MM, $4.5MM AAV)
G Troy Grosenick (one year, two-way, $775K)
D Alexandre Carrier (one year, $2.5MM)

St. Louis Blues

F Mackenzie MacEachern (two years, $1.55MM, $775K AAV)
D Wyatt Kalynuk (one year, two-way, $775K)
D Joshua Jacobs (one year, two-way, $775K)
G Malcolm Subban (one year, two-way, $775K)

Winnipeg Jets

G Collin Delia (one year, $775K)
F Vladislav Namestnikov (two years, $4MM, $2MM AAV)
F Jeffrey Viel (one year, $775K)
G Laurent Brossoit (one year, $1.75MM)

Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly

Detroit Red Wings Sign Nolan Stevens

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A strong showing in the minors has earned former St. Louis Blues forward prospect Nolan Stevens another NHL contract. The Detroit Red Wings have nabbed the unrestricted free agent on a one-year, two-way deal, with CapFriendly reporting it’s worth $775K in the NHL and $150K in the AHL.

The 26-year-old center scored 15 goals and 33 points in 48 games with the AHL’s Utica Comets on a minor-league contract last season, setting a career-high in both categories. The Blues cut ties with Stevens during the 2021-22 season, trading him to the Minnesota Wild in a minor-league swap for forward William Bitten. Minnesota then opted not to re-sign Stevens when he became a UFA under Group VI rules last offseason.

Now with 119 points in 237 AHL games to his name, Stevens is slated for usage with the Grand Rapids Griffins, who will be his fifth AHL squad. Detroit’s affiliate struggled last season, posting a 28-36-8 record and missing the Calder Cup Playoffs for the second straight season. Stevens was on pace for 50 points in a full 72 AHL games last season, which would’ve placed him second on the 2022-23 Griffins squad. Needless to say, he’ll be an important cog in helping Detroit’s farm team return to postseason play.

An NHL contract provides the 6-foot-2 center a chance at his NHL debut, something he hasn’t achieved in five seasons since turning pro. The former Northeastern University captain was selected by the Blues with the 125th overall pick in 2016.

Winnipeg Jets Sign Axel Jonsson-Fjallby

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The Winnipeg Jets are bringing back one of their players who hit the open market Saturday. Group VI UFA left wing Axel Jonsson-Fjallby is returning to the team on a two-year contract with an average annual value of $775K. Per the Jets, the deal is a two-way contract in 2023-24 and a one-way contract in 2024-25. PuckPedia adds his AHL salary this season will be $225K.

Winnipeg acquired Jonsson-Fjallby via waiver claim just before the beginning of the 2022-23 season. He went on to spend most of the season on the NHL roster, playing a career-high 50 games and recording six goals and 14 points in a fourth-line role.

Originally a 2016 fifth-round selection of the Washington Capitals, Jonsson-Fjallby’s only previous NHL experience came with them in 2021-22, scoring two goals and four points in 23 games. It came after Washington briefly lost him to the Buffalo Sabres in October 2021, also via a waiver claim, before the Capitals reclaimed him on the waiver wire a few weeks later.

The 25-year-old isn’t likely to play an everyday role in the Jets’ lineup, though, at least not this season. Winnipeg getting three NHL players back from the Los Angeles Kings in the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade could push Jonsson-Fjallby down to press box status, although a potential Mark Scheifele trade later on this offseason could generate more playing opportunities for the Swedish winger.

At league minimum, he’s a perfectly fine option for the Jets in a limited role. He’s a speedy forechecker who’s also responsible defensively, and while he doesn’t have much long-term offensive upside, you don’t have to worry about him as a liability at the bottom of the lineup.

Winnipeg would risk losing him on waivers if he doesn’t make the team, although awarding him a two-year deal (with a one-way salary attached in 2024-25) significantly lowers the likelihood of a claim. There’s a bit of a jam at the bottom of Winnipeg’s forward depth chart, with Jonsson-Fjallby battling with Rasmus Kupari, Jansen Harkins, David Gustafsson, and Dominic Toninato for roster spots on the Jets’ fourth line. All five would require waivers to be assigned to the AHL.

Montreal Canadiens Extend Rafael Harvey-Pinard

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One of the Montreal Canadiens’ more intriguing breakout players last season has gotten a nice payday. Today, they announced a two-year contract extension for winger Rafael Harvey-Pinard, carrying an average annual value of $1.1MM. Per CapFriendly, he’ll earn $1.2MM in 2023-24 and $1.0MM in 2024-25, paid entirely in base salary.

Harvey-Pinard earns his first one-way NHL contract after a very strong late-season performance in Montreal. His 14 goals and 20 points in 34 games were equivalent to a 0.59 points-per-game rate, sixth among all qualified Canadiens.

The 2019 seventh-round pick has posted strong numbers in the minors since turning pro in 2020, putting to rest most concerns about his undersized frame. Standing at 5-foot-9 and 181 pounds, the 24-year-old Quebecer has 107 points in 145 AHL games with the Laval Rocket over the past three seasons.

He’s surely in line to make the team out of camp, but if things do go wrong for the Canadiens and Harvey-Pinard in two years’ time, his $1.1MM salary is fully buriable in the minors.

Harvey-Pinard spent most of his call-up elevated in the Canadiens’ lineup, playing on captain Nick Suzuki’s wing. His NHL stint happened after Cole Caufield was shut down for the season with a shoulder injury, though, so he’ll likely see a slight reduction on the 17:13 he averaged per game last year. Still, he’s part of a group of budding Canadiens forwards under the age of 25 that also includes Alex Newhook, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Kirby Dach.

He’ll have arbitration rights as a restricted free agent at the end of his contract, potentially setting himself up for a big short-term payday if things go well. Due to the structure of his contract, he’ll only be due a $1MM qualifying offer in 2025.

His signing does push Montreal over the salary cap’s $83.5MM Upper Limit just slightly, but they’ll have no issue remaining compliant throughout the season with netminder Carey Price’s $10.5MM cap hit stashed on long-term injured reserve.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Griffin Mendel

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The Carolina Hurricanes are in an interesting situation regarding their organizational depth. Their previous AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, made the choice to operate independently for 2023-24, leaving Carolina without a dedicated farm team at the highest minor-league level.

It hasn’t stopped Carolina from retaining some talent who spent last season in Chicago on AHL deals, however. Today, they announced the signing of defenseman Griffin Mendel to a one-year, entry-level contract worth $775K at the NHL level and $75K at the AHL level. He’s also been awarded a $15K signing bonus, bringing the cap hit of his contract to $790K.

Mendel, 24, was the only skater to play in all of Chicago’s 72 games last season, an impressive feat for a rookie. In his first full professional season, the hulking Kelowna-born defender exceeded all expectations after middling offensive production in college, posting nine goals and 19 points along with a -11 rating. That’s the highest point total Mendel has posted in a single season at any level dating back to U-15 play.

The 6-foot-6, 220-pound defender is technically already a pro-league champion, appearing in one Calder Cup Playoff game for the then-champion Wolves in 2022 after signing an AHL deal at the end of the season. Before turning pro, Mendel played four college seasons with the University of Denver before transferring to Quinnipiac for a fifth and final season in 2021-22. He also attended Carolina’s training camp in 2022 on a tryout.

Although the left-shot Mendel has certainty over his financial situation next season, he doesn’t know where he’ll play yet. Carolina still doesn’t have a designated place to assign their minor-league players next season.

Mendel will be a restricted free agent next offseason, and he’ll be due a qualifying offer worth $813,750 on a two-way contract, save for the unlikely event he plays at least 60 NHL games in 2023-24.

Seattle Kraken Sign Connor Carrick

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The Seattle Kraken have brought back a familiar face. Defenseman Connor Carrick is returning for his second stint with the organization, signing a one-year, two-way deal with a $775K average annual value.

Carrick, 29, joined the Kraken a couple of months before the team played their first game, signing a one-year pact with them in free agency in August 2021. He didn’t appear in an NHL game for them, though, instead spending the entire season with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, Seattle’s affiliate for their inaugural season.

This is Carrick’s third straight one-year, two-way deal as he continues his career as a high-end AHL depth piece with some significant NHL experience. He spent last season with the Boston Bruins, leading their AHL affiliate in Providence in points from defensemen with 44 in 63 games. He made one NHL appearance with the Bruins in 2022-23, registering an assist, a +3 rating, two shots on goal, and playing 16:54 in an April 9 game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Carrick, a right-shot defender, also did well in Charlotte, recording 10 goals and 32 points in 59 games. The past two seasons were Carrick’s first full-time AHL campaigns since 2015-16 with the Hershey Bears and Toronto Marlies, as he’d mainly stuck in the NHL as a seventh defenseman since then.

In his eight-season, 242-game NHL career, Carrick’s played for the Bruins, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Washington Capitals. He’s amassed 13 goals, 37 assists, 50 points, and a -19 rating.

Seattle’s NHL defense corps is filled up after signing former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin to a two-year contract on July 1. Because of that, Carrick is likely destined for another significant AHL role, this time with the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Seattle’s minor-league affiliate advanced to Game 7 of the Calder Cup Final in their inaugural campaign last year, losing to Hershey in overtime. Within the Kraken organization, he replaces the role of defenseman Brogan Rafferty, who led Firebirds defensemen in regular-season scoring with 51 points in 72 games and signed with the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.

Dallas Stars Re-Sign Nicholas Caamano, Scott Reedy

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The Dallas Stars have announced contract extensions for two depth forwards: right winger Nicholas Caamano and center Scott Reedy. Each contract is a one-year, two-way pact.

Caamano, set to turn 25 before the start of next season, is a big six-foot-three forward who has shown flashes of offensive potential in the AHL but generally lacked consistency since turning pro from the OHL. The former OHL champion has scored 75 points in 191 career AHL games, while also racking up 194 career penalty minutes.

Caamano’s combination of physicality and bursts of scoring ability helped the AHL’s Texas Stars reach the postseason in 2022-23 and also turned Caamano into a viable option to be called up to Dallas, although he has just three points in 36 career NHL games.

With 227 combined games played at both the NHL and AHL levels, Caamano is set to cross the 260-game threshold this season which would mean he would no longer qualify as a “development player,” per the AHL’s rules.

As a result, this year is of particular importance for Caamano as he’ll need to show he can provide consistent value to his team in order for an NHL club to deem him worth investing a non-development player slot in during future seasons.

Reedy, 24, is a center who was acquired by the Stars from the San Jose Sharks in a midseason trade. He scored 10 points in 18 games for Texas and has 58 points in 111 career AHL games. Reedy is a big center who hasn’t scored a ton at the AHL level but does have a season on record where he scored 18 goals in just 38 games, showcasing some untapped offensive upside.

He and Caamano will in all likelihood be placed in top-nine roles for Texas but should be under consideration for NHL call-ups during the season, assuming they manage to be reasonably productive.

San Jose Sharks Sign Nathan Todd

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The San Jose Sharks have signed center Nathan Todd to a two-year, two-way contract. The deal carries a $775k cap hit in the NHL, a $225k yearly AHL salary, and $225k in yearly guarantees.

With Springfield Thunderbirds teammate Brady Lyle headed to the Washington Capitals, Todd is the second member of the Thunderbirds’ 2021-22 Calder Cup Finals squad to sign with another club today.

Todd is a 27-year-old center who has taken a bit of a winding road to this current point in his career, where he’s an established, valuable AHLer. Todd was a productive two-year OHLer before splitting his first full season away from junior hockey in the ECHL and Canadian University circuit. He then spent three seasons with the ECHL’s now-defunct Brampton Beast, going from middle-of-the-lineup player to point-per-game scorer.

Todd earned his first full-time AHL opportunity in 2020-21 with the Manitoba Moose, and he made the most of it scoring 12 goals and 32 points in 36 games in the AHL’s All-Canadian division. He even managed to be named to his division’s All-Star Team and parlayed that successful AHL campaign into his first NHL contract, with the St. Louis Blues.

The 2021-22 regular season didn’t go quite as well for Todd as the 2020-21 did, but he stepped up in the playoffs scoring 11 points in 18 games as Springfield nearly took home an AHL title. This past season Todd only managed to get into 16 games but he scored a healthy eight goals and 14 points, leading to this two-year deal with the Sharks.

San Jose recently dealt bottom-sixer Steven Lorentz to the Florida Panthers in the Anthony Duclair trade, meaning the possibility is there for Todd to have a stellar training camp and win the Sharks’ fourth-line center role. But the overwhelming likelihood is Todd begins the season with the Sharks’ AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, and hopes to be healthy and productive enough to earn the first NHL call-up of his career.

Calgary Flames Sign Brady Lyle

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The Calgary Flames have signed defenseman Brady Lyle to a one-year, two-way contract carrying a $775k AAV and a $140k AHL salary.

Lyle is a 24-year-old right-shot defenseman who offers above-average size and is coming off of a breakout season with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL.

A high-scoring undrafted defenseman in the OHL, Lyle began his pro career with the Providence Bruins but eventually made his way to Springfield. He was a member of the Springfield team that made it all the way to the Calder Cup Finals last season, acquired by St. Louis for future considerations in a midseason trade.

Lyle held down a top-four role for the Thunderbirds and ranked second among team defensemen in scoring with 31 points in 51 games.

The Flames have a crowded defense at the current moment but are a bit thin on the right side of their defense in the AHL with only veteran Nick DeSimone as the only right-shot blueliner currently penciled into the Wranglers’ lineup.

Now they’ve added another top-four AHL blueliner with some offensive upside to their mix, and seeing as he only just turned 24 perhaps the Flames believe Lyle can make a push for an NHL call-up.

Washington Capitals Sign Alex Limoges

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The Washington Capitals have put in work signing players to add to their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, for their next season where they’ll look to defend their Calder Cup Championship. Alongside an extension for Dylan McIlrath and the additions of Matthew Phillips and Pierrick Dube comes a signing of Alex Limoges from the Winnipeg Jets’ affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.

Per PuckPedia, the deal is a one-year, two-way contract carrying a $775k AAV and a $235k AHL salary. Seeing as Hershey already has their first-line center locked in with Michael Sgarbossa, Limoges figures to slot in either as the team’s second or third-line center, depending on the fate of 2020 first-rounder Hendrix Lapierre.

Limoges, 25, hasn’t yet played in the NHL but has been an extremely strong AHL scorer ever since he turned pro out of Penn State. The Virginia native scored 20 goals and 54 points for the Moose this past season, leading the team in scoring.

He only managed one goal and no assists in five playoff games and did not earn any NHL games or a qualifying offer, but his play was improved compared to last season and he firmly established himself as a top-six player in the AHL.

Now he’ll bring his services closer to home and play for the defending Calder Cup champion, with the hope of finally earning a call-up to make his NHL debut.

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