2024 NHL Free Agent Signing Tracker – With Instant Analysis

Well, free agency is technically supposed to open for all NHL teams at 10 AM MST, but apparently it started a few days ago, because contracts have started to trickle in well before the market officially opens.

The salary cap has gone up to $88 million and teams are ready to start throwing cash around. Judging by some of these early contracts, that’s exactly what they’re going to be doing.

Since the signings have already started, we’re going to be updating this page with all the moves around the NHL and including some instant analysis. If the Colorado Avalanche sign anyone, we’ll have separate articles on them.

Signings

• Jake Guentzel signs an 7 year, $9 million deal with Tampa Bay

Everyone assumed that with Guentzel going to a Florida team, he’d take less due to state taxes, but that didn’t really happen here. This is going to be the richest contract we see today on an annual basis. Guentzel has been a very consistent scorer for years now, and that should continue in Tampa Bay, at least to start the contract.

• Sam Reinhart re-signs at 8 years, $8.625 million per-year deal with Florida

Okay, if Guentzel’s deal didn’t seem to take advantage of no state taxes, this one does. I assumed we’d be looking at around $10 million for a guy coming off a 57 goal season, so good work by Florida to get it at a lower AAV. I don’t expect Reinhart to score 50 goals again, but I could be wrong.

• Tyler Bertuzzi signs 4 year, $5.5 million per-year deal with Chicago

Connor Bedard needs actual NHL players around him to succeed, so it seems like Chicago is at least trying to do that. This seems like overpayment but that’s an organization that probably needs to overpay to get guys to play there. Bertuzzi really hasn’t come close to repeating his 62 point year in 2021-22.

• Dmitry Kulikov re-signs in Florida for 4 years, $1.15 million per-year

This is someone we talked about with the Avalanche, but he got some real term to hang around in Florida, and that kept the AAV down. He turns 34 later this year, so good for him getting a long-term deal like this.

• Chris Tanev signs a 6 year, $4.5 million deal with Toronto

This one feels like it’s going to age poorly. Tanev is a very good defender, but he’s about as injury prone as it gets. He’s going to turn 35 this year and I can’t imagine the end of this deal will be fun for the Maple Leafs.

• Patrick Kane re-signs with Detroit for 1 year, $4 million with $2.5 million in bonuses

We touched on this earlier today, but I’m not sure what Yzerman is trying to build there. At least he didn’t give Kane the term he was looking for. Kane was much better than I thought last season, but this team seems like they’ll continue to be just okay.

• Sam Carrick signs a 3 year, $1 million per-year deal with the Rangers

Good for a fourth line player to get three years of term. I wouldn’t have loved three years, but that AAV for the Avalanche would have been great. They need a 4C.