A Vezina Trophy finalist landed in Seattle, the Hurricanes turned over their entire group, and several accomplished veterans who had their contracts bought out found new homes on a busy day for NHL goaltenders.
More than a dozen goalies changed places Wednesday, altering the landscape with moves involving everyone from Stanley Cup contenders to teams building up from the bottom.
Vezina Trophy finalist Philipp Grubauer got the most lucrative contract, leaving Colorado to sign for $35.4 million over six years with the expansion Kraken. Seattle then flipped one of the goalies they picked in the expansion draft, Vitek Vanecek, to Washington for a 2023 second-round pick to spin the carousel some more.
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The stars available at the top end of the NHL free agent market should make things interesting Wednesday afternoon.
Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog and goaltender Philipp Grubauer and Carolina defenseman Dougie Hamilton did not have deals to re-sign as of Tuesday evening and could stir up bidding wars if the other 31 teams can start negotiating with them. Two-time Stanley Cup champion Blake Coleman is a lock to leave the Tampa Bay Lightning, and there will be no shortage of suitors interested in a gritty forward who can help get a contender over the hump.
Meanwhile, the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers and expansion Seattle Kraken are among the teams that could be active with more than $20 million in salary cap space. And the Vegas Golden Knights could go big-name shopping after clearing space by trading Marc-Andre Fleury to Chicago.
The stars available at the top end of the NHL free agent market should make things interesting Wednesday afternoon.
And scratch Colorado’s Gabriel Landeskog off the list, after the Avalanche captain signed an eight-year, $56 million contract late Tuesday night.
That left Colorado goaltender Philipp Grubauer and Carolina defenseman Dougie Hamilton as the top unsigned prizes capable of stirring up bidding wars if the other 31 teams can start negotiating with them once the free agency period opens.
Elsewhere, two-time Stanley Cup champion Blake Coleman is a lock to leave the Tampa Bay Lightning, and there will be no shortage of suitors interested in a gritty forward who can help get a contender over the hump.
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