Top Free Agent Signing for Each NHL Team in the Salary Cap Era
NHL teams go shopping in free agency for players to add to their franchise, in the hopes of taking the next step, whatever step that might be — winning the Stanley Cup, winning a playoff round, or just reaching the playoffs.
Frequently, teams will make ill-advised decisions to bring in players that do not provide a great return on investment. Such is the nature of making high-pressure multi-million-dollar decisions in a short time frame. However, there have also been some positive signings, too.
Finding a player that can produce in a new system can make all the difference. If the player can produce for a longer period of time, even better.
Here, then, are the top unrestricted free agent acquisitions for each NHL team during the Salary Cap era (2005-2006 to present).
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Anaheim Ducks – Scott Niedermayer
The Ducks already had Rob Niedermayer, which helped their case when trying to lure the 2004 Norris Trophy winner as a free agent. Niedermayer was a Norris Trophy runner-up in his first two seasons with the Ducks and finished in the top ten in the next two seasons. He produced 264 points in 371 games for Anaheim and won the Conn Smythe Trophy when the Ducks won the Stanley Cup in 2007.
Arizona Coyotes – Mike Smith
Smith signed with the then-named Phoenix Coyotes in 2011 and promptly delivered the best season of his career, finishing fourth in Vezina voting after posting a .930 save percentage in 67 games before delivering a .944 save percentage in 16 playoff games. Over six seasons, he had a .916 save percentage in 312 regular-season games for the Coyotes.
Boston Bruins – Zdeno Chara
An all-time great free agent signing after the Ottawa Senators effectively prioritized Wade Redden when dealing with their unrestricted free agent defensemen in the summer of 2006.
Chara played 1,023 regular-season games for the Bruins, won the Norris Trophy and 2009, and finished top five for the Norris Trophy six times in his Bruins career.
Buffalo Sabres – Teppo Numminen
No slam dunks for the Sabres, who are more known for their free agent losses than acquisitions. But Numminen was solid in three of his four seasons with the Sabres (though limited to one game in 2007-2008).
Cases could be made for Jaroslav Spacek or Kyle Okposo, but that tells you what the free agent landscape has been for the Sabres in the salary cap era.
Calgary Flames – Jacob Markstrom
Markstrom’s first season in Calgary was mediocre but he just finished as the Vezina Trophy runner-up in the 2021-2022 season. That was the best statistical season of his career, finishing with a 2.22 GAA and a .922 SV%.
Goaltender tends to be a high-risk position but the rewards for hitting on a premier free agent netminder can really pay off and it is looking good for the Flames with Markstrom in net.
Carolina Hurricanes – Ray Whitney
A veteran winger who had bounced around quite a bit, Whitney played five seasons for the Hurricanes, accumulating 334 points in 372 games. He also produced nine goals and 15 points in 24 playoff games on the way to winning the 2006 Stanley Cup.
Chicago Blackhawks – Marian Hossa
Hossa was an elite free agent signing. He was a difference maker as a two-way winger on three Chicago Stanley Cup winners after losing back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings, respectively.
Hossa put up 415 points in 534 games for Chicago, finishing in the Top 10 in Selke Trophy voting, which does not really show proper appreciation for his play without the puck.
CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 21: Marian Hossa #81 of the Chicago Blackhawks (center) celebrates his third period goal with (L-R) Nick Schmaltz #8, Brent Seabrook #7, and Brian Campbell #51 against the Vancouver Canucks at the United Center on March 21, 2017, in Chicago, Illinois. The Canucks defeated the Blackhawks 5-4 in overtime.Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images via AFP.
Colorado Avalanche – Valeri Nichushkin
Cast aside by the Dallas Stars after scoring zero goals in 58 games during the 2018-2019 season, Nichushkin found his form with the Avalanche and first became a dominant checking winger. He then took his game to another level in 2021-2022, scoring 52 points in 62 regular-season games before putting up nine goals and 15 points in 20 playoff games on the way to Colorado winning the Stanley Cup.
Columbus Blue Jackets – James Wisniewski
There are few great free agent acquisitions for Columbus, and winger Kristian Huselius is a worthy contender. But hard-nosed defenseman James Wisniewski was probably even more effective in four seasons, logging 22:50 per game for the Blue Jackets.
Dallas Stars – Joe Pavelski
This is remarkable to have Pavelski here because his first season with the Stars — 2019-2020 — was the worst season of his career. However, in the next two seasons, Pavelski has produced 132 points in 138 games and has been a vital piece on the Stars’ top line.
Alexander Radulov had some moments with the Stars, too, but Pavelski remains an impact player for the Stars.
Detroit Red Wings – Brian Rafalski
A late bloomer who did not arrive in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils until he was 26, Rafalski wrapped up his career playing four seasons for the Red Wings and finished in the Top 12 in Norris Trophy voting in three of those four seasons.
Rafalski was a crucial piece for Detroit’s 2008 Stanley Cup champs and Rafalski played more than 23 minutes per game, with 204 points and dominant possession numbers in 292 games for Detroit.
Edmonton Oilers – Evander Kane
A signing that brought harsh criticism for the Oilers due to his off-ice problems, Kane played just 43 games for Edmonton in the 2021-2022 season after having his contract voided by the San Jose Sharks. Kane thrived with the Oilers, frequently playing alongside Connor McDavid, and produced 22 goals and 39 points in the regular season before adding 13 goals and 17 points in 15 playoff games in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs.
He's also a UFA this offseason.
Florida Panthers – Carter Verhaeghe
One of the best value free agent signings ever, Verhaeghe was playing a fourth line role with the Tampa Bay Lightning but he was quickly moved up the depth chart after signing with the Panthers. Verhaeghe put up 91 points in 121 games across the past two seasons for just $1 million per, so his production was far beyond that price tag.
Los Angeles Kings – Willie Mitchell
Last summer’s signing of center Phillip Danault might have a chance to surpass the value provided by Mitchell, but the physical stay-at-home defenseman was a critical part of the Kings’ Stanley Cup championship teams in 2012 and 2014. Mitchell averaged 21:26 of ice time per game in 209 games over three seasons for Los Angeles.
Minnesota Wild – Eric Staal
The Wild are a fascinating team with some major free agent signings that have provided good value. Jared Spurgeon and Mats Zuccarello have offered bang for the buck while Ryan Suter and Zach Parise were signed to huge deals and were productive before they were ultimately bought out.
That leaves Staal, who was coming off a tough stint with the New York Rangers and signed a bargain three-year, $10.5 million contract. Staal played 311 games for the Wild and put up 111 goals and 240 points.
Montreal Canadiens – Brian Gionta
Landing prized free agents has been challenging for the Canadiens, whether that is due to provincial tax issues or the harsh spotlight that comes with playing under the spotlight in Montreal. Skating five seasons for the Habs, Gionta had three seasons with at least 40 points and was named captain of the team before his second season in Montreal.
That's probably enough to put him ahead of Mike Cammalleri as Montreal’s top free agent addition of the salary cap era.
Nashville Predators – Paul Kariya
A brilliant talent who scored a point per game in 989 career games, Kariya played just two seasons for Nashville but scored 161 points in 164 games for the Predators. Jason Arnott had a longer stint with Nashville after signing as a free agent but did not have the elite production to match Kariya.
New Jersey – Dougie Hamilton
While Ilya Kovalchuk was probably the most productive free agent signed by the Devils during the salary cap era, it is hard to argue that he provided good value for the Devils given the retroactive penalties that were applied to New Jersey for the structure of the contract.
So, if it’s not going to be Kovalchuk, give the Devils a nod for the prized free agent they signed in the summer of 2021. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton is an elite possession driver and plays a huge role for a rebuilding Devils team.
New York Islanders – Mark Streit
This is probably a close race between Streit, the veteran puck-moving defenseman, and Matt Moulson, a winger who had three 30-goal seasons for the Islanders. Streit contributed 179 points while averaging 24:31 average time on ice in 286 games for the Isles.
N.Y. Rangers – Artemi Panarin
Even if his 2022 playoff performance came under some criticism, it is hard to argue against the performance of Panarin, who has scored 249 points in 186 games for the Rangers.
In those three seasons, Panarin’s 1.34 points per game ranks fifth in the NHL, behind Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, and Nikita Kucherov.
https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1543717470120419330
Ottawa Senators – Sergei Gonchar
Even though he was 36 years old when he was signed by the Senators, Gonchar remained a productive puck-moving contributor scoring 91 points in 186 games. Even in his late thirties, Gonchar played more than 23 minutes per game for the Sens.
Philadelphia Flyers – Daniel Briere
A small forward who could score, Briere continued to produce upon signing with Philadelphia, finishing with 283 points in 364 games across six seasons with the Flyers.
Peter Forsberg has a strong, albeit short, run in Philadelphia, scoring 115 points in just 100 games for the Flyers, but Briere likely had a bigger impact.
Pittsburgh Penguins – Sergei Gonchar
Not only was Gonchar the Senators’ top free agent signing, but he takes that honor for the Penguins as well. The Pittsburgh years were closer to peak Gonchar production, and he was a massive threat on the power play, scoring 175 of his 259 points for Pittsburgh with the man advantage.
Gonchar finished in the Top 15 of Norris Trophy voting in four of his five seasons with the Penguins.
San Jose Sharks – Antti Niemi
Even after backstopping Chicago to the 2009-2010 Stanley Cup, Niemi ended up signing in San Jose, where he ultimately played 296 games and was a Vezina Trophy Finalist in 2012-2013.
He was a workhorse for the Sharks, starting at least 60 games in four of his five seasons with San Jose. The only exception was during the 2012-2013 lockout-shortened season when he started 43 of 48 games.
Seattle Kraken – Adam Larsson
The crop of free agents in Seattle Kraken history is understandably quite small since they have played just one season. Other options include Jamie Oleksiak and Jaden Schwartz, but Larsson was the best of last summer’s free agent additions, scoring a career-high 25 points and logging more than 22 minutes per game for the Kraken.
St. Louis Blues – David Perron
First drafted by the Blues in 2007, Perron has departed twice and returned twice as a free agent, signing in the summer of 2016 and again in 2018. Since returning to St. Louis as a free agent in 2018, Perron has produced 94 goals and 221 points in 251 games. He also contributed seven goals and 16 points in 26 games on the Blues’ run to the Stanley Cup in 2019.
Tampa Bay – Tyler Johnson
There is a case to be made for Anton Stralman, a veteran defenseman who was excellent in five seasons with Tampa Bay. But it’s hard to beat the value provided by Johnson, an undersized and undrafted forward who recorded four 20-goal seasons with the Lightning.
Johnson won two Stanley Cups with Tampa Bay and led the 2015 postseason with 13 goals and 23 points in 26 games.
Toronto Maple Leafs – John Tavares
Sure, $11 million per season is a lot of money, but Tavares has delivered the goods scoring 119 goals and 274 points in 280 games since joining the Maple Leafs.
As long as the Maple Leafs struggle to escape the first round of the playoffs, Tavares’ big ticket will come under scrutiny, but he was brought in to be a scoring center and has fulfilled those expectations.
Vancouver Canucks – Chris Tanev
An undrafted free agent out of R.I.T., Tanev developed into a top pair shutdown defenseman, the type of player that the Canucks have been seeking to replace ever since Tanev departed for Calgary as a free agent. He’s not flashy, but is positionally sound, plays hard, and moves the puck in the right direction.
Vegas Golden Knights – Alex Pietrangelo
The Golden Knights are not afraid to take home run swings and they did in the summer of 2020 when they signed Pietrangelo, the prized defenseman on the free agent market. Pietrangelo has 67 points while averaging more than 24 minutes of ice time per game in 121 games for the Golden Knights.
Washington Capitals – Matt Niskanen
Often underrated, Niskanen finished 11th in Norris Trophy voting after the 2013-2014 season, just prior to signing as a free agent with the Capitals. That was the only season that he received Norris Trophy votes, but Niskanen was a standout in five seasons for the Capitals. He averaged nearly 23 minutes per game and anchored their defense during their run to the Stanley Cup in 2018.
Winnipeg Jets – Ron Hainsey
As you might suspect, Winnipeg is not a hotbed for NHL free agents. Thus, this will go back to the franchise’s days in Atlanta when the Thrashers inked Hainey, a solid defenseman who averaged more than 21 minutes of ice time in 346 games across five seasons with the Thrashers then Jets.
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