NHL · 1 year ago

Winners & Losers From Day 1 of NHL Free Agency

Zack Cook

Host · Writer

Loser: Columbus Blue Jackets
Let's start with this. It's no secret that the Columbus Blue Jackets must overpay free agents to attract them to the market. They did so with Johnny Gaudreau, and they did so again with Sean Monahan, his former Calgary linemate, on Day 1 of NHL free agency. Monahan had his first healthy season in ages, split between Montreal and Winnipeg, leading to a productive season. Still, when you factor in what his body has been through, does giving him five years in term make sense on July 1? It's a good fit on paper for Columbus, but it's hard to get excited about how this contract will age.

Stanley Cup Odds: +40000

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Winner: Nashville Predators
It's still fair to question if spending all this cash will pay off for the Nashville Predators, but there's no doubt they were the clear standout winners of Day 1 in NHL free agency. The biggest spending team doesn't always equate to success on the ice, knowing how teams have to overpay on July 1. Still, the Predators needed to add scoring, and they did so in a big way, signing Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault. That wasn't all for Nashville, who added one of the top available defensemen in Brady Skjei. The Predators might not be a Stanley Cup contender now, but they are making noise in the Western Conference.

Stanley Cup Odds: +2000

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Loser: Ottawa Senators
If you're an Ottawa Senators fan, it's hard to have much confidence in what's transpired this offseason. None of the moves the Sens have made are needle movers, while they made a puzzling trade on Day 1 of free agency that left many scratching their heads. It was no secret that Jakob Chychrun was on the block in Ottawa, but to have that little of a return for a young top-four defenseman is questionable asset management at best. The Sens said that there was plenty of interest in Chychrun. How come the return didn't match that sentiment?

Stanley Cup Odds: +4500
Winner: Edmonton Oilers
If it weren't for the Nashville Predators opening their wallet up in a big way on Day 1 of the NHL free agency, it's not hard to make a case that the Edmonton Oilers won the day. Although the Oilers didn't have the cap space to play with like other franchises, they used what they had, adding multiple depth scoring options. Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson are great moves for the Oilers, which should help spread out Edmonton's offense and give Leon Draisaitl higher-quality wingers. The Oilers got better on Day 1 of free agency in a big way.

Stanley Cup Odds: +900
Loser: Los Angeles Kings
It's not Day 1 of NHL free agency if teams aren't overpaying aging big defensemen. That's precisely what the Los Angeles Kings did with Joel Edmundson. If you look at Marc Bergevin being part of the Kings management team, you can understand why this move isn't a surprise, factoring in he gave a similar free-agent deal to Edmundson in Montreal. That was four years ago. Edmundson can help the Kings, but the term is questionable when you factor in his injury history, and overpaying an aging defenseman rarely works out.

Stanley Cup Odds: +2300
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Winner: Washington Capitals
It's hard to get a complete read on what's going on with the Washington Capitals over the last few weeks. They've made some exciting trades, and the best-value one went down on Day 1 of NHL free agency. The Capitals acquired defenseman Jakob Chychrun, which was surprising given the low acquisition cost. Although it may seem like they overpaid for defenseman Matt Roy, the Capitals are quietly building a solid blueline, and everyone knows shutdown defensemen don't come cheap.

Stanley Cup Odds: +7500
Loser: Seattle Kraken
On paper, it's great to see an expansion team like the Seattle Kraken attracting high-end free agents. Still, it's hard to be bullish about the contacts they gave out to defenseman Brandon Montour and center Chandler Stephenson. Both moves make the Kraken better now, but neither elevates them to contender status. Even after contributing to a Stanley Cup win in Florida, Montour has shown signs of aging. At the same time, Stephenson doesn't have the offensive pedigree to warrant the deal the Kraken gave him. The Kraken are better but remain stuck in no man's land in a daunting Western Conference.

Stanley Cup Odds: +6500
Winner: Chicago Blackhawks
Although the Chicago Blackhawks are nowhere near being contenders in the Western Conference, the Connor Bedard effect was in full force on Monday afternoon. Players around the league want to play with the NHLs next budding superstar, which appears to be the case for Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen. In addition, Alec Martinez gives them a veteran on the backend to lead a young defensive core. The Blackhawks are trying to speed up their rebuild and give their new superstar more options to play with.

Stanley Cup Odds: +27000
Loser: Colorado Avalanche
It was nice to see the Colorado Avalanche retain the services of Jonathan Drouin in free agency. That's where the good news ends for the Avalanche. The Avs are in cap hell at the moment, and they don't even have a complete NHL roster. Colorado's management team will have to get creative to get cap-compliant, even if that doesn't happen in the near future. The Avalanche still have a Stanley Cup-contending roster, reflected in their odds, but they couldn't elevate their chances on Day 1 of free agency.

Stanley Cup Odds: +1100
Winner: New Jersey Devils
After a disappointing season filled with injuries, the New Jersey Devils have made some sizable changes to their roster this offseason. The Devils will only go as far as their stars take them, but they've added some vital pieces in free agency that should help them make a deep playoff run. Brett Pesce and Brendon Dillon were two astute signings by the Devils. This pair of defensemen suit the playoff-style game to a tee. In addition, the Devils also added some scoring depth with the signing of Stefan Noesen.

Stanley Cup Odds: +1100
Loser: Detroit Red Wings
We've been hearing about Steve Yzerman's plan with the Detroit Red Wings for a long time. To say fans should be growing impatient at this point is an understatement. The Red Wings kept Patrick Kane in the fold, and although his offense remained prevalent last year, he's far from a sure thing at this stage in his career. Detroit's other moves were around the edges, which doesn't inspire confidence that this group is ready to take another step in the standings.

Stanley Cup Odds: +4500
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Loser: Columbus Blue Jackets
Let's start with this. It's no secret that the Columbus Blue Jackets must overpay free agents to attract them to the market. They did so with Johnny Gaudreau, and they did so again with Sean Monahan, his former Calgary linemate, on Day 1 of NHL free agency. Monahan had his first healthy season in ages, split between Montreal and Winnipeg, leading to a productive season. Still, when you factor in what his body has been through, does giving him five years in term make sense on July 1? It's a good fit on paper for Columbus, but it's hard to get excited about how this contract will age.

Stanley Cup Odds: +40000

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Winner: Nashville Predators
It's still fair to question if spending all this cash will pay off for the Nashville Predators, but there's no doubt they were the clear standout winners of Day 1 in NHL free agency. The biggest spending team doesn't always equate to success on the ice, knowing how teams have to overpay on July 1. Still, the Predators needed to add scoring, and they did so in a big way, signing Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault. That wasn't all for Nashville, who added one of the top available defensemen in Brady Skjei. The Predators might not be a Stanley Cup contender now, but they are making noise in the Western Conference.

Stanley Cup Odds: +2000

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Winners & Losers From Day 1 of NHL Free Agency

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