Tag: NHL offseason

The first day of the 2022 NHL free agency period did not go as many thought it would.

While there have been a torrent of contracts signed by free agents that opened the floodgates, there weren’t any real surprises on Wednesday that hockey fans were hoping for. Of course, free agency is only beginning, as teams will have all summer to ruminate on their needs while courting some of the big names still available.

For now, however, it seems as if the busiest time of the free agency period has passed. After the first day of business, here are the biggest winners and losers of the 2022 NHL free agency period!

The gates to the 2022 NHL free agency period have officially been thrown open!

As of Wednesday, July 13 at 12 p.m. ET, NHL teams will now be able to sign unrestricted free agents to contracts as clubs look to bolster their rosters ahead of yet another 82-game season. It’s now open season on the NHL’s biggest unsigned stars, with a flurry of activity likely as noon ET hits and more deals slowly trickling in during the summer months.

Headed into the free agency period, NHL teams were active at the draft, with players such as Alex DeBrincat and Matt Murray moving on from their respective clubs. A handful of big UFA targets were also taken off the board in the days leading up to free agency, with Evgeni Malkin re-signing in Pittsburgh at the eleventh hour and Valeri Nichushkin sticking around in Colorado, among others.

Oh, and make sure you take a look at our top 20 free agents headed into this offseason before all of the major players get signed! Here are all the major free agent signings of the 2022 NHL free agency period.

The 2022 NHL free agency period will open its doors on Wednesday, July 13 and chaos will surely follow in its wake. It’s been some time since we’ve seen a free agent class this strong, as some true star power will be available to sign this offseason.

Now that the Stanley Cup has been awarded and the NHL Draft has come and gone, only free agency remains between hockey fans and a long summer. And yet, this free agency period should be a real fun one. There are a ton of great players set to hit the market on Wednesday, with term and money likely free flowing as teams look to make a big splash.

Even before free agency begins, there were a handful of moves made that shook up the landscape. The Blackhawks set in motion their rebuild by trading away Alex DeBrincat and Kirby Dach, a series of moves that confused many Chicago fans. Alexandar Georgiev will now be the starting goaltender for the Avalanche after the Rangers traded the netminder ahead of the draft.

All that, plus a few major signings for good measure, from Kris Letang remaining with the Penguins and Valeri Nichushkin getting big money from the Avalanche to stick around. With 12 p.m. ET on July 13 rapidly approaching, here are the top 20 UFAs headed to market that you should watch out for.