Free Agency Fallout: NHL's Biggest Winners and Losers
It has been a busy week for NHL clubs and their front offices with a ton of new signings, re-signings, and trades since the 2024 NHL Free Agency period began eight days ago. There have been several significant moves made so far in free agency, with notable players like Sam Reinhart, Jake Guentzel, and Jonathan Marchessault available this offseason. In addition, after 16 seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, veteran center Steven Stamkos made the decision to pack up and go. At last, we have seen a number of clubs reinforce and deepen their rosters for the upcoming season, while a number of other teams suffered the misfortune of having a large number of previous players opt to go this offseason. After all of that, let's take a look at some of the greatest winners and losers from NHL Free Agency thus far.
Winner: Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are without a doubt the clear big-time winner of this offseason now that free agency has settled. Following their first-round loss to the Vancouver Canucks in the playoffs last season, general manager Barry Trotz was determined to make big free agency acquisitions and elevate the team's Stanley Cup chances for next season. In the opening few hours of free agency, Trotz and the Predators accomplished exactly that, bringing in several unexpected high-profile additions. With the Predators having ranked 10th in scoring last season, Trotz looked at adding even more scoring depth to the team’s roster. The Predators signed experienced center Steven Stamkos, defenseman Brady Skjei, and forward Jonathan Marchessault to long-term contracts in order to achieve that aim. With the Hurricanes, Skjei scored 13 goals and a career-high 47 points. Plus, Stamkos scored 40 goals with the Lightning and Marchessault scored 42 goals with the Golden Knights last season. In addition to making a number of headline acquisitions, the Predators also re-signed key players on defense, such as 27-year-old defenseman Alex Carrier, who ranked third on the club in shots blocked and who will support Skjei on the defensive line. The Predators have assembled a strong roster with the necessary elements to contend for the Stanley Cup going into next season.
Loser: Carolina Hurricanes
Due primarily to their significant offseason talent loss, the Carolina Hurricanes have endured what is likely one of their worst free agency periods to date. The Hurricanes were scheduled to have 12 unrestricted free agents available this summer, including wingers Teuvo Teravainen, Jake Guentzel, Stefan Noesen, and Jordan Martinook, as well as defensemen Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce. Only Martinook, who inked a three-year contract with Carolina, will be putting on the skates for the Hurricanes in the next season. The Hurricanes will appear very different in the upcoming season due to the departures of Guentzel, Skjei, and Teravainen, three players with significant offensive potency. A portion of the Hurricanes' significant defensive free agency losses were offset by defenseman Jaccob Slavin's eight-year contract extension. In addition, the Hurricanes signed a three-year contract with veteran defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who finished last season with the Red Wings with 10 goals and 46 assists. With the addition of Slavin and Gostisbehere to their roster, the Hurricanes were able to strengthen their defense, but they still lost a significant amount of offensive production that they could rely on last season. The Hurricanes will thus need to make some additions before training camp begins in a few months if they are to maintain their position as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
Winner: Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks are in the midst of a rebuild and finished last season with the second-worst record in the NHL, barely narrowly ahead of the San Jose Sharks with 23 victories. However, they have surprisingly had a rather active start to free agency this past week. Entering the offseason, general manager Kyle Davidson had plans to assemble a roster around rookie sensation Connor Bedard. Bedard was selected first overall by the Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Draft and finished his rookie campaign leading the team's lackluster offense, which averaged a league-worst 2.17 goals per game and Bedard finished tied for first on the team with 22 goals scored. The Blackhawks have signed a number of important veterans in free agency thus far to support Bedard in leading the club and bolstering its scoring efficiency.
The Blackhawks recruited wingers Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi on the first day of free agency to bolster their offensive line. Bertuzzi scored 21 goals and Teravainen scored 25 last season. In addition, the Blackhawks recruited proven defensive players to their squad, such as Alec Martinez, who was a key player in the Los Angeles Kings' Stanley Cup title runs from 2011 to 2014. The Blackhawks might not be prepared to make the playoffs next season, but with Bedard being the centerpiece of the roster and the signing of additional offensive weapons to the roster, they could be able to turn things around over the next couple of years.
Loser: Las Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights had many important players heading into this offseason who were either set to become free agents or tradeable, who helped the team win its first Stanley Cup in 2023, including Chandler Stephenson, William Carrier, Jonathan Marchessault, Alec Martinez, and goalie Logan Thompson. Having said that, the front office of the Golden Knights was unable to retain any of those five key players, as Thompson was dealt to the Washington Capitals at the 2024 NHL Draft and all of them signed elsewhere. When taking everything at face value, it seems like the Golden Knights could have negotiated with some of its unrestricted free agents more effectively before the start of free agency. The Golden Knights now have the difficult chore of finding complementary replacements for Stephenson, Carrier, and Martinez, all of whom played significant roles on the team, as well as replacing their leading scorer from last season, Marchessault. The Vegas front office did not want to find itself in this situation when free agency began, even though the Golden Knights will have plenty of cap space money to deal with.
