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NHL Free Agency 2021: Every signing by all 32 teams

July 31, 2021

It’s time for NHL Free Agency! The offseason is under way and with the market opening July 28 there will be plenty of action this summer. Some teams have already been busy getting their 2021-22 rosters in order. Check back here for all of the signings that teams will be making in hopes of improving their chances at winning the 2022 Stanley Cup.

NHL Free Agency Signings

July 30

• Avalanche signs Tyson Jost to a two-year, $4 million deal.
• Blues sign Calle Rosen to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Blues sign Tommy Cross to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Blues sign Ivan Barbashev to a two-year, $4.5 million deal.
• Blue Jackets sign Mikko Lehtonen to a one-year, $900,000 deal.
• Flames sign Colton Poolman to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Hurricanes sign Maxim Letunov to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Hurricanes sign Alex Lyon to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Hurricanes sign Sam Miletic to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Kings sign Lias Andersson to a one-year, $874,125 deal
• Lightning signs Alex Barré-Boulet to a three-year, $2.275 million deal.
• Lightning signs Taylor Raddysh to a three-year, $2.275 million deal.
• Maple Leafs sign Ondrej Kase to a one-year, $1.25 million deal.
• Panthers sign Zac Dalpe to a two-year, $1.5 million deal.
• Predators sign Tanner Jeannot to a two-year, $1.6 million deal.
• Red Wings sign Brian Lashoff to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Sabres sign Rasmus Asplund to a two-year, $1.65 million deal.
• Sabres sign Ryan MacInnis to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Stars sign Nicholas Caamano to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Stars sign Colton Point to a one-year, $750,000 deal.

NHL Free Agency Offer Sheet Compensation Scale

July 29

• Blues sign Brandon Saad to a five-year, $22.5 million deal. (Link)
• Blue Jackets sign Zach Werenski to a six-year, $57.5 million deal. (Link)
• Lightning signs Corey Perry to a two-year, $1 million deal. (Link)
• Avalanche signs Darren Helm to a one-year, $1 million deal.
• Avalanche signs Dylan Sikura to a one-year, $800,000 deal.
• Avalanche signs Stefan Matteau to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Blues sign Matthew Peca to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Blues sign Charlie Lindgren to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Blues sign Nathan Todd to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Blue Jackets sign Jake Bean to a three-year, $7 million deal.
• Canadiens sign Mathieu Perreault to a one-year, $950,000 deal.
• Coyotes sign Hudson Fasching to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Coyotes sign Michael Carcone to a two-year, $1.5 million deal.
• Devils sign Robbie Russo to a two-year, $1.5 million deal.
• Devils sign Joseph Gambardella to a two-year, $1.5 million deal.
• Ducks sign Danny O’Regan to a two-year, $1.5 million deal.
• Ducks sign Buddy Robinson to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Ducks sign Greg Pateryn to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Flames sign Andy Welinski to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Hurricanes sign Brendan Smith to a one-year, $800,000 deal.
• Hurricanes sign Jalen Chatfield to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Lightning signs Cal Foote to a two-year, $1.7 million deal.
• Maple Leafs sign Brett Seney to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Maple Leafs sign Pavel Gogolev to a three-year, $2.775 million deal.
• Penguins sign Michael Chaput to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Penguins sign Danton Heinen to a one-year, $1.1 million deal.
• Predators sign Mathieu Oliver to a two-year, $1.5 million deal.
• Rangers sign Filip Chytil to a two-year, $4.6 million deal.
• Red Wings sign Daniel Renouf to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Red Wings sign Ryan Murphy to a one-year, $800,000 deal.
• Red Wings sign Luke Witkowski to a two-year, $1.5 million deal.
• Sabres sign Ethan Prow to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Sabres sign John Hayden to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Senators sign Pontus Aberg to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Senators sign Dillon Heatherington to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Senators sign Kole Sherwood to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Stars sign Michael Raffl to a one-year, $1.1 million deal.
• Stars sign Jani Hakanpää to a three-year, $4.5 million deal.
• Wild signs Kevin Czuczman to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Wild signs Jon Merrill to a one-year, $850,000 deal.
• Wild signs Brandon Duhaime to a two-year, $1.5 million deal.

July 28

• Bruins sign Linus Ullmark to a four-year, $20 million deal. (Link)
• Canucks sign Jaroslav Halak to a one-year, $1.5 million deal. (Link)
• Devils sign Dougie Hamilton to a seven-year, $63 million deal. (Link)
• Golden Knights sign Alec Martinez to three-year, $15.74 million deal. (Link)
• Hurricanes sign Frederik Andersen to a two-year, $9 million deal. (Link)
• Hurricanes sign Tony DeAngelo to a one-year, $1 million deal.(Link)
• Kings sign Phillip Danault to a six-year, $33.5 million deal. (Link)
• Kings sign Alex Edler to a one-year, $3.5 million deal. (Link)
• Kraken signs Alexander Wennberg to a three-year, $13.5 million deal. (Link)
• Kraken signs Philipp Grubauer to a six-year, $35.4 million deal. (Link)
• Kraken signs Jaden Schwartz to a five-year, $27.5 million deal. (Link)
• Lightning signs Brayden Point to an eight-year, $76 million deal. (Link)
• Maple Leafs sign Petr Mrazek to a three-year, $11.4 million deal. (Link)
• Oilers sign Zach Hyman to a seven-year, $38.5 million deal. (Link)
• Oilers sign Tyson Barrie to a three-year, $13.5 million deal. (Link)
• Oilers sign Cody Ceci to a four-year, $13 million deal. (Link)
• Stars sign Ryan Suter to a four-year, $14.6 million deal. (Link)
• Wild signs Alex Goligoski to a one-year, $5 million deal. (Link)
• Avalanche signs Roland McKeown to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Blackhawks sign Jujhar Khaira to a two-year, $1.95 million deal.
• Blackhawks sign Jake McCabe to a four-year, $16 million deal.
• Blue Jackets sign Eric Robinson to a two-year, $3.2 million deal.
• Blue Jackets sign Boone Jenner to a four-year, $15 million deal.
• Blue Jackets sign Sean Kuraly to a four-year, $10 million deal.
• Blue Jackets sign Alexandre Texier to a two-year, $3.05 million deal.
• Blue Jackets sign Tyler Sikura to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Blue Jackets sign Gavin Bayreuther to a two-year, $1.5 million deal.
• Bruins sign Nick Foligno to a two-year, $3.8 million deal.
• Bruins sign Derek Forbort to a three-year, $9 million deal.
• Bruins sign Erik Haula to a two-year, $4.75 million deal.
• Bruins sign Tomas Nosek to a two-year, $3.5 million deal.
• Bruins sign Troy Grosenick to a one year, $750,000 deal.
• Bruins sign Samuel Asselin to a two-year, $1.5 million deal.
• Bruins sign Steven Fogarty to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Bruins sign Tyler Lewington to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Canadiens sign David Savard to a four-year, $14 million deal.
• Canadiens sign Mike Hoffman to three-year, $13.5 million deal.
• Canadiens sign Louie Belpedio to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Canadiens sign Chris Wideman to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Canadiens sign Cedric Paquette to a one-year, $950,000 deal.
• Canadiens sign Jean-Sébastien Dea to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Canucks sign Brandon Sutter to a one-year, $1.125 million deal.
• Canucks sign Luke Schenn to a two-year, $1.7 million deal.
• Canucks sign Kyle Burroughs to a two-year, $1.5 million deal.
• Canucks sign Nic Petan to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Canucks sign Brad Hunt to a one-year, $800,000 deal.
• Canucks sign Devante Stephens to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Canucks sign Sheldon Dries to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Canucks sign John Stevens to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Canucks sign Sheldon Rempal to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Canucks sign Justin Bailey to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Canucks sign Justin Dowling to a two-year, $1.5 million deal.
• Canucks sign Travis Hamonic to a two-year, $6 million deal.
• Canucks sign Phil Di Giuseppe to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Canucks sign Tucker Poolman to a four-year, $10 million deal.
• Canucks sign Danila Klimovich to a three-year, $2.775 million deal.
• Canucks sign Brady Keeper to a two-year, $1.525 million deal.
• Capitals sign Hunter Shepard to a two-year, $1.5 million deal.
• Capitals sign Dylan McIlrath to a two-year, $1.5 million deal.
• Capitals sign Lucas Johansen to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Capitals sign Matt Irwin to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Coyotes sign Liam O’Brien to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Coyotes sign Ryan Dzingel to a one-year, $1.1 million deal.
• Coyotes sign Carter Hutton to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Coyotes sign Dmitrij Jaškin to a one-year, $3.2 million deal.
• Ducks sign Ryan Getzlaf to a one-year, $4.5 million deal.
• Ducks sign Brogan Rafferty to a one-year, $750K deal.
• Devils sign Jonathan Bernier to a two-year, $8.25 million deal.
• Devils sign Chase DeLeo to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Devils sign Brian Flynn to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Flames sign Blake Coleman to a six-year, $29.4 million deal.
• Flames sign Trevor Lewis to a one-year, $800,000 deal.
• Flames sign Kevin Gravel to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Flames sign Nick DeSimone to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Flames sign Adam Werner to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Flyers sign Nate Thompson to a one-year, $800,000 deal.
• Flyers sign Adam Clendening to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Flyers sign Nick Seeler to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Flyers sign Cooper Zech to a two-year, $1.75 million deal.
• Flyers sign Ryan Fitzgerald to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Flyers sign Gerald Mayhew to a one-year, $800,000 deal.
• Golden Knights sign Laurent Brossoit to a two-year, $4.65 million deal.
• Golden Knights sign Mattias Janmark to a one-year, $2 million deal.
• Golden Knights sign Sven Baertschi to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Golden Knights sign Patrick Brown to a two-year, $1.5 million deal.
• Golden Knights sign Gage Quinney to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Hurricanes sign Antti Raanta to a two-year, $4 million deal.
• Hurricanes sign Josh Leivo to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Hurricanes sign C.J. Smith to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Hurricanes sign Ian Cole to a one-year, $2.9 million deal.
• Hurricanes sign Jordan Martinook to a three-year, $5.4 million deal.
• Jets sign Luke Johnson to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Jets sign Michael Eyssimont to a two-year, $1.5 million deal.
• Kings sign Andreas Athanasiou to a one-year, $2.7 million deal.
• Kings sign T.J. Tynan to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Kings sign Alex Edler to a one-year, $3.5 million deal.
• Kings sign Garret Sparks to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Lightning signs Remi Elie to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Lightning signs Charles Hudon to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Lightning signs Brian Elliott to a one-year, $900,000 deal.
• Lightning signs Zach Bogosian to a three-year, $2.55 deal.
• Lightning signs Pierre-Edouard Bellemare to a two-year, $2 million deal.
• Lightning signs Andrej Sustr to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Lightning signs Darren Raddysh to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Lightning signs Maxim Legace to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Maple Leafs sign Michael Bunting to a two-year, $1.9 million deal.
• Maple Leafs sign David Kampf to a two-year, $3 million deal.
• Maple Leafs sign Michael Amadio to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Maple Leafs sign Carl Dahlstrom to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Maple Leafs sign Alex Biega to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Maple Leafs sign Kurtis Gabriel to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Oilers sign Derek Ryan to a two-year, $2.5 million deal.
• Panthers sign Maxim Mamim to a one-year, $975,000 deal.
• Panthers sign Juho Lammikko to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Panthers sign Carter Verhaeghe to a three-year, $12.5 million deal.
• Panthers sign Christopher Gibson to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Penguins sign Evan Rodrigues to a one-year, $1 million deal.
• Penguins sign Brock McGinn to a four-year, $11 million deal.
• Penguins sign Dominik Simon to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Penguins sign Taylor Fedun to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Penguins sign Filip Lindberg to a two-year, $1.85 deal.
• Predators sign Mikael Granlund to a four-year, $20 million deal.
• Predators sign David Rittich to a one-year, $1.25 million deal.
• Predators sign Anthony Richard to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Predators sign Matt Luff to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Predators sign Zachary L’Heureux to a three-year, $2.775 million deal.
• Predators sign Michael McCarron to a two-year, $1.5 million deal.
• Predators sign Matt Tennyson to a two-year, $1.5 million deal.
• Rangers sign Patrik Nemeth to a three-year, $7.5 million deal.
• Rangers sign Jarred Tinordi to a two-year, $1.8 million deal.
• Rangers sign Greg McKegg to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Rangers sign Dryden Hunt to a two-year, $1.525 million deal.
• Red Wings sign Sam Gagner to a one-year, $850,000 deal.
• Red Wings sign Calvin Rickard to a one-year, $800,000 deal.
• Red Wings sign Jordan Oesterle to a two-year, $2.7 million deal.
• Red Wings sign Pius Suter to a two-year, $6.25 million deal.
• Sabres sign Vinnie Hinostroza to a one-year, $1.05 million deal.
• Sabres sign Aaron Dell to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Sabres sign Brandon Davidson to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Sabres sign Sean Malone to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Sabres sign Craig Anderson to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Sabres sign Mark Pysyk to a one-year, $900,000 deal.
• Sabres sign Jimmy Schuldt to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Senators sign Michael Del Zotto to a two-year, $4 million deal.
• Senators sign Andrew Agozzino to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Sharks sign Andrew Cogliano to a one-year, $1 million deal.
• Sharks sign James Reimer to a two-year, $4.5 million deal.
• Sharks sign Lane Pederson to a two-year, $1.5 million deal.
• Sharks sign Nick Bonino to a two-year, $4.1 million deal.
• Sharks sign Nick Merkley to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Sharks sign Jaycob Megna to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Stars sign Braden Holtby to a one-year, $2 million deal.
• Stars sign Luke Glendening to a two-year, $3 million deal.
• Stars sign Alex Petrovic to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Stars sign Andreas Borgman to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Wild signs Frederick Gaudreau to a two-year, $2.4 million deal.
• Wild signs Dmitry Kulikov to a two-year, $4.5 million deal.
• Wild signs Joe Hicketts to a two-year, $1.5 million deal.
• Wild signs Jon Lizotte to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Wild signs Dominic Turgeon to a one-year, $750,000 deal.

July 27

• Avalanche signs Gabriel Landeskog to eight-year, $56 million deal. (Link)
• Blues sign Pavel Buchnevich to four-year, $23.2 million deal. (Link)
• Blue Jackets sign Patrik Laine to one-year, $7.5 million deal. (Link)
• Bruins sign Mike Reilly to three-year, $9M deal. (Link)
• Canadiens sign Joel Armia to a four-year, $13.6 million deal. (Link)
• Canucks sign Conor Garland to five-year, $24.75 million deal. (Link)
• Capitals sign Alex Ovechkin to five-year, $47.5 million deal. (Link)
• Flyers sign Keith Yandle to one-year, $900,000 deal.
• Jets sign Eric Comrie to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Lightning signs Otto Somppi to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Panthers sign Brandon Montour to three-year, $10.5 million deal.
• Red Wings sign Taro Hirose to one-year, $850,000 deal.
• Red Wings sign Kyle Criscuolo to two-year, $1.5 million deal.
• Sabres sign Drake Caggiula to one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Wild signs Kyle Rau to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Wild signs Dakota Mermis to a two-year, $1.5 million deal.

July 26

• Panthers sign Sam Bennett to a four-year, $17.6 million deal. (Link)
• Blackhawks sign Adam Gaudette to a one-year, $997,500 deal.
• Bruins sign Nick Wolff to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Devils sign Christian Jaros to a one-year $800,000 deal.
• Flyers sign Samuel Morin to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Jets sign Paul Stastny to a one-year, $3.75 million deal.
• Panthers sign Lucas Carlsson to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Panthers sign Noah Juulsen to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Predators sign Frédéric Allard to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Predators sign Ben Harpur to a one-year $800,000 deal.
• Predators sign Jeremy Davies to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Red Wings sign Gustav Lindström to a two-year, $1.7 million deal.
• Wild signs Andrew Hammond to a one-year, $750,000 deal.

July 25

• Red Wings sign Marc Staal to a one-year, $2 million deal.

July 24

• Avalanche signs Cale Makar to a six-year, $54 million deal. (Link)
• Blues sign Nathan Walker to a two-year, $1.5 million deal.
• Kings sign Trevor Moore to a two-year, $3.75 million deal.
• Penguins sign Kasper Björkqvist to a one-year, $750,000 deal.

July 23

• Blackhawks sign Seth Jones to an eight-year, $76 million deal. (Link)
• Bruins sign Taylor Hall to a four-year, $24 million deal. (Link)
• Hurricanes sign Spencer Smallman to a one-year, $750,000 deal.

2021-22 NHL offseason trade tracker

July 31, 2021

The offseason has arrived and there are plenty of NHL trades that will go down before the 2021-22 season. Check back here for all of the trades that teams will be making in hopes of improving their chances at winning the 2022 Stanley Cup.

Arizona Coyotes: Antoine Roussel, Jay Beagle, Loui Eriksson, 2021 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, 2023 seventh-round pick
Vancouver Canucks: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Conor Garland (signing rights)

July 23 (Link)

St. Louis Blues: Pavel Buchnevich
New York Rangers: 2022 second-round pick

July 23 (Link)

Philadelphia Flyers: Rasmus Ristolainen
Buffalo Sabres: Robert Hagg, 2021 first-round pick, 2023 second-round pick

2021 NHL offseason trades

July 22

Calgary Flames: Tyler Pitlick
Seattle Kraken: 2022 fourth-round pick

July 22 (Link)

Detroit Red Wings: Alex Nedeljkovic
Carolina Hurricanes: Jonathan Bernier (signing rights), 2021 third-round pick

July 22 (Link)

Philadelphia Flyers: Future considerations
Arizona Coyotes: Shayne Gostisbehere, 2022 second-round pick, 2022 seventh-round pick

Next NHL defensemen in line for huge free-agent contracts

July 30, 2021

After the most frenzied part of 2021 NHL Free Agency, there are plenty of takeaways. One of them: so much for that flat salary cap slowing down NHL spending, huh? But, to get more specific, there’s another thought: it’s a great time to be an NHL defenseman.

That goes for mid-grade and depth defensemen, who’ve signed one eye-popping free-agent contract after another.

Most crucially, though, we’ve seen a staggering array of free-agent mega-deals for prominent defensemen. Your mileage will vary based on which defensemen have a prayer of making those contracts worthwhile. But there’s no denying that NHL defensemen, their agents, and accountants got a lot, lot richer lately.

Let’s review some of the biggest recent free-agent contracts for NHL defensemen

Think of some of the NHL free-agent contracts (either for UFAs, or extensions on previous deals) that demanded people to reach deep into the reserves of shocked emojis:

We all felt so young-and-innocent when the Stars signed Miro Heiskanen (eight years, $8.45 million cap hit). When the Stars signed that Heiskanen deal on July 17, it seemed steep — even considering the hype he’s generated. Now it looks downright responsible.
Things really started to ramp up around Seth Jones. After paying a pretty penny to trade for Jones, the Blackhawks opted to give Jones an eight-year extension with a whopping $9.5M cap hit. That’s before Jones played a single shift for Chicago. If the troubling underlying numbers Jones put up are not an accident, well … too bad. The deal’s already in place.
Soon after, the Avalanche swooped in and signed Cale Makar to a contract that’s both big and easy to justify. The supremely talented (and beyond-his-22-years) defenseman signed for six years at a $9M clip. While that price follows a pattern, Makar breaks some of the other trends by being undeniably worth it. In fact, it was almost a trope to see “[Less of a sure thing] is making more than Cale Makar!”

ZACH WERENSKI MAKING MORE THAN CALE MAKAR
THATS THE TWEET.

— dom at the athletic (@domluszczyszyn) July 30, 2021

Late-ish on the first day of 2021 NHL Free Agency, the Devils landed the big fish in Dougie Hamilton: seven years, $9M AAV. While Jones is the “Hockey Men” choice despite bad underlying stats, Hamilton’s the opposite. His work is off-the-charts, but old-school types tend to sour on Hamilton for a variety of reasons. It’s a big chunk of change, whether it looks smart, foolish, or somewhere in the middle.
Finally — for now — the Blue Jackets shocked the hockey world by signing Zachary Werenski to a six-year contract with a mammoth $9.583M million cap hit.

In the span of a couple weeks, the ranks of the hyper-rich NHL defensemen swelled like Werenski’s wallet.

Top AAV for NHL ‘D’ in 2022-23

$11.5M — Erik Karlsson
$11M — Drew Doughty
*$9.583M — Zach Werenski
*$9.5M — Seth Jones
$9.059 — Roman Josi
*$9M — Dougie Hamilton
*$9M — Cale Makar
$8.8M — Alex Pietrangelo
*$8.45M — Miro Heiskanen

*-contract signed in July 2021

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) July 30, 2021

So, to paraphrase poet Bill Goldberg, “Who’s next?”

Between the rest of this offseason, all the way through 2022 NHL Free Agency, we could see more big free-agent contracts for NHL defensemen. Let’s see who’s in line for new deals.

First, we’ll begin with players who don’t have contracts for the 2021-22 season. Then, we’ll move onto defensemen entering contract years, who can sign an extension. (Will it be for Werenski money, though?)

Dahlin, Hughes, could be up for big free-agent contracts, RFAs or not

Quinn Hughes

During this key offseason, Canucks GM Jim Benning faced a difficult balancing act. His goal was to make the Canucks better, while also opening up room to sign star RFAs Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson.

From a making the Canucks better standpoint, it’s been a mixed bag. (Signing Travis Hamonic for nearly $6 million over two years? That’s certainly a choice.)

As far as signing Hughes and Pettersson goes? Also kind of a mixed bag.

Cap Friendly estimates the Canucks’ cap space at about $14.06 million. That’s without signing Pettersson and Hughes, and Jason Dickinson also sticks out as an RFA.

Evolving Hockey’s wonderful contract projection tool estimates the most likely Quinn Hughes contract at six years with a $7.017M. But could Werenski and other extensions raise the bar for Hughes? By certain metrics, Werenski is a more well-rounded player:

Which other NHL defensemen could sign massive free-agent contracts? Hughes Werenski ev comp — *via Evolving Hockey*

But, as we’ve seen from the Blackhawks defiantly paying Jones before he played a single shift in their uniform, all that really matters is what one team will pay for a player. Both Werenski and Hughes have parallels in the broadest senses: offensively adept, mixed feelings about their defense, young and left-handed. Naturally, it’s not a one-to-one comparison (Hughes is younger; the Blue Jackets were desperate not to lose another big name). Yet, it’s still interesting to wonder if Werenski and other big-money contracts might push Hughes’ asking price above that $7M-ish estimate.

(Shorter, “bridge” deals prompted lower guesses.)

Again, Hughes’ situation is made more complicated by Pettersson being in a similar boat. For what it’s worth, Evolving Hockey leans toward a “bridge” deal for Pettersson, specifically, at about $5M.

If those predictions are correct, then the Canucks could probably make this work.

In a smarter, bolder, more aggressive NHL, someone might swoop in with an offer sheet to make things more uncomfortable. Luckily for the Canucks, Hughes is not eligible for an offer sheet (but Pettersson is).

Rasmus Dahlin

On one hand, hockey analysis — including in NHL front offices — has become a lot more sophisticated.

That said, some of the surprising contracts remind us that reputation and narratives matter a lot. When people decide Seth Jones is a $9.5M defenseman, they’ll ignore any number of charts and footage of mildly troubling tendencies.

Generally, teams still get lured in by big point totals, too. Even if those points sometimes feel like empty calories (sorry, Tyson Barrie and Mike Hoffman).

All of these factors make it difficult to tell what’s going to happen between Rasmus Dahlin and the Buffalo Sabres.

On one hand, Dahlin’s produced some decent counting stats. He generated 44 points as a rookie in 2018-19, and 40 points in 59 games in 2019-20. Last season wasn’t as pretty, as Dahlin produced 23 points in 56 games.

As far as his overall work, though? It’s been a little disappointing — at least for a defenseman who’s been as hyped as any top blueline prospect in recent memory.

Does some of that come down to the Sabres? I’d argue yes. His usage has been a bit erratic, and the team didn’t always play to his strengths.

Still, it’s difficult to shake the impression that expectations are much, much lower for Dahlin. He’s definitely struggled defensively at times.

Evolving Hockey’s contract projection tool forecasts a six-year deal between Dahlin and the Sabres, at about $6M. Would a “prove it” deal be likely? How much are the rebuilding Sabres willing to commit? It could be an interesting situation all-around.

Adam Pelech, plus a few other free-agent NHL defensemen of note

Last offseason, the Islanders struggled with their cap crunch. That pain shined brightest when they had to trade Devon Toews in what ended up being a steal for the Avalanche.

This season, they’re far better positioned to deal with the challenge of signing a defenseman who’s better than most people likely realize.

At 26, Adam Pelech is on the older end of this group of RFA defensemen. He also lacks the flash of Hughes’ and Dahlin’s scoring numbers. Yet, the combination of Pelech and Ryan Pulock quietly gave the Islanders one of the best defensive pairings in the NHL.

Adam Pelech was elite defensively at 5v5, half of a pairing with Ryan Pulock that at times singlehandedly kept the Isles afloat in the regular season. Big breakout for him that should hopefully have earned some votes. #Isles pic.twitter.com/1WzUfAQiJ4

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) June 9, 2021

If the Islanders manage to land Pelech in the projected four-year, $4.324M cap hit range, it would be a steal. We’ll see if a rabid NHL free-agent market moves the goalposts at all.

Some other noteworthy NHL defensemen in need of new contracts as RFAs:

NHL defensemen entering contract years, who could sign extensions

Naturally, there are a lot of NHL defensemen entering contract years, who could sign extensions. That net could get really wide, then, if we mention a veteran like Mark Giordano.

To keep it simple, let’s consider potential big raises for younger defensemen most likely to sign Werenski/Jones-type extensions.

Adam Fox

Imagine Adam Fox, 23-year-old reigning Norris Trophy winner, watching the big-money deals fly in.

You’ve got to think he could ask for something comparable to what Norris runner-up Cale Makar received, right? Maybe a bit more? Earlier rumors indicated that Fox might want to wait, rather than sign a contract extension. Would an offer be too much to resist if it was in the Makar range? Could he somehow drive his value even higher by playing out the 2022-23 season?

(Good thing he has that Harvard brain to figure this out.)

The Rangers need to be careful here. Like Fox, Kaapo Kakko approaches a contract year. Meanwhile, Alexis Lafreniere has two years left on his ELC. Mika Zibanejad‘s bargain $5.35 AAV runs out after next season. The core of this team could get expensive, quickly, and Fox might be the most expensive piece of them all (outside of Artemi Panarin … we think?).

Charlie McAvoy

Slowly, but surely, people are catching on to just how great Charlie McAvoy is. With that in mind, the Bruins might want to bite the bullet and sign the 23-year-old to a contract extension now. If not, it wouldn’t be outrageous to imagine McAvoy having a Norris Trophy on his resume. (Or at least a bullet point about being a finalist.)

Granted, injuries have been an issue at times. Also, with defense being his biggest calling card, he might not have the same selling ability as some of the higher-scoring, more porous comparison points.

Peruse the Bruins ‘roster, and marvel at how often they’ve convinced their best players to accept less than market value. That happened back with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. They got a steal with David Pastrnak, and Taylor Hall‘s a pleasant surprise. If the Bruins don’t pay much more than McAvoy’s current $4.9M cap hit on his next deal, then they might be magicians, or wizards. Super powers may be involved.

Pending UFAs who may be in line for extensions and/or big raises

Maybe the Islanders should just sign Pulock and Pelech now? While Pelech needs a new deal as an RFA, Pulock enters 2022-23 as a pending UFA. Might be wise to lock them up before people truly catch on to their own-zone dominance.
Will the Flyers echo the Blackhawks extending Jones by locking down Ristolainen prior to his contract expiring? They haven’t yet. If they do before learning how Ristolainen fits, there will be plenty of criticisms.
Morgan Rielly‘s great offensively, but suspect defensively. That’s the sort of summary you hear about a defenseman who signs a perilous contract. Will that happen with Rielly? What’s his future with the Maple Leafs?
Could Darnell Nurse be another quality defenseman whose next contract looks scary?

For the record, our projection on @EvolvingHockey (signing an extension with the same team right now) comes in at $8.33M x 8 years. So it’s not *that* far off. If we re-train the model with the new contracts signed so far, $9M doesn’t seem out of the question. https://t.co/rQT5YhoU6p

— EvolvingWild (@EvolvingWild) July 30, 2021

High risk, mystery rewards

When it comes to big NHL free-agent contracts (and extensions), you don’t always get what you “pay for.”

Just about anyone cringes at Erik Karlsson‘s contract. People should cringe basically just as much at the Drew Doughty deal. Even one people haven’t soured on could quickly turn that way — does it really behoove the troubled Predators to pay Roman Josi $9M per year?

Despite many red flags, and adjacent albatrosses like the Oliver Ekman-Larsson contract, teams clearly believe that risky free-agent contracts are simply unavoidable for NHL defensemen.

Simply put, they’re betting that they’re right. Considering some of the names in this post, that casino will be buzzing with activity during the next year or so.

(Hey, at least it’s not your money, right?)

—

James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.

NHL Free Agency 2021: Every signing by all 32 teams

July 29, 2021

NHL Free Agency Signings

July 29

• Blues sign Matthew Peca to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Blues sign Brandon Saad to a five-year, $22.5 million deal.
• Penguins sign Michael Chaput to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Lightning signs Corey Perry to a two-year, $1 million deal.
• Sabres sign Ethan Prow to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Sabres sign John Hayden to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
• Stars sign Michael Raffl to a one-year, $1.1 million deal.
• Stars sign Jani Hakanpaa to a three-year, $4.5 million deal.

July 28

NHL Free Agency Offer Sheet Compensation Scale

July 27

July 26

July 25

• Red Wings sign Marc Staal to a one-year, $2 million deal.

July 24

July 23

2021 NHL offseason trades

July 22

Calgary Flames: Tyler Pitlick
Seattle Kraken: 2022 fourth-round pick

July 22 (Link)

Detroit Red Wings: Alex Nedeljkovic
Carolina Hurricanes: Jonathan Bernier (signing rights), 2021 third-round pick

July 22 (Link)

Philadelphia Flyers: Future considerations
Arizona Coyotes: Shayne Gostisbehere, 2022 second-round pick, 2022 seventh-round pick

NHL Power Rankings: Updated 2021 free agent rankings

July 29, 2021

In this week’s edition of the NHL Power Rankings we take an updated look at the top unrestricted free agents that willl be available when the free agent signing period begins on Wednesday.

In recent days we have seen a handful of players re-sign with their current teams, including most notably forward Taylor Hall with the Bruins, and several potential free agents get taken by the Kraken in the NHL Expansion Draft (Chris Driedger, Adam Larsson, Jamie Oleksiak).

We have also seen a few additional players hit the open market due to buyouts, including Zach Parise, Ryan Suter, and Keith Yandle.

Here we will take a look at the top remaining players entering the week.

Who all makes the list this week?

To this week’s NHL Power Rankings!

Players Most Likely To Re-Sign

1. Alex Ovechkin. His 13-year contract is over and that technically makes him eligible for unrestricted free agency. But we all know he is going to end up in Washington, right? [Re-signed with Capitals: 5-year, $47.5 million]

2. Tuukka Rask. Bruins fans have had a long-time love-hate relationship with Rask, but it would probably be in their best interests if the team can get him re-signed. He is still one of the league’s best goalies.

3. David Krejci. With Hall already re-signed it would be a huge win for the Bruins to get Krejci back as well to reunite that second line that played so well together. Hard to envision Krejci in a sweater that is not a Bruins sweater.

4. Gabriel Landeskog. You would like to think Colorado can get its captain signed, but those talks have been difficult to this point. Landeskog brings a rare combination of grit, skill, and defensive excellence to the top of any lineup. The Avs want to keep him but it is starting to look like a real possibility that he could leave. [Re-signed with Avalanche: 8-year, $56 million]

5. Philipp Grubauer. Grubauer has been an excellent starter since joining the Avalanche three years ago and took a huge step forward this season, finishing as a Vezina Trophy finalist. If the Avalanche can not get him and/or Landeskog re-signed they are going to have two significant players to replace. [Signed with Kraken: 6-year, $34.5 million]

Moving On For A Bigger Payday

6. Dougie Hamilton. Of the players that actually have a chance of changing teams Hamilton should be at the top of the list given his all around ability on defense. He can play every situation, is a dominant possession driver, and an impact player offensively. Every team should want to sign him. Carolina is going to try, but it will be difficult and it seems likely that he is moving on. [Signed with Devils: 7-year, $63 million]

7. Phillip Danault. An outstanding shutdown center with better offensive skill than he sometimes gets credit for. Along with being a Selke-caliber defender he can also be a 50-point center. Extremely valuable player. [Signed with Kings: 6-year, $33 million.]

8. Blake Coleman. He should get a massive contract on the open market. The rare player that both analytics and eye test people rave over equally, and he also has the Stanley Cup winner reputation (back-to-back Cups as a key player for the Lightning) that GMs love. [Signed with Flames: 6-year, $29.4 million]

9. Zach Hyman. He seems destined to end up with the Oilers. Good player that is about to get a contract that everybody will hate, and probably for good reason. Never want to sign a 29-year-old second-tier free agent to a seven- or eight-year contract. [Signed with Oilers: 7-year, $38.5 million]

Time For A Change

10. Ryan Suter. It was very surprising to see him get bought out along with Zach Parise, not only because of the impact it has on Minnesota’s salary cap, but also because he is still a pretty good player. He is no longer a serious Norris candidate, but he is a legitimate top-four defender in the NHL and will probably be a good value on his next deal. [Signed with Stars: 4-year, $14.6 million]

11. Kyle Palmieri. Very underrated player for most of his career. He will score 25-30 goals over an 82-game season and give you solid play away from the puck. If the Islanders could get him re-signed that would be a nice move for their offseason.

12. Jaden Schwartz. Really good second-line forward that will score 20 goals and help drive possession. A good Plan B for any team that does not get one of the top forwards. [Signed with Kraken: 5-year, $27.5 million.]

13. Tomas Tatar. Tatar has been the top scorer on the Canadiens over the past three seasons, has dominant underlying numbers, and plays great next to Danault and Brendan Gallagher. But he still seemed to fall out of favor in Montreal this season. Some team should try to sign him and Danault together.

14. Brandon Saad. Saad never became the superstar the Blackhawks hoped he would when he first entered the NHL, but he has become an excellent middle-six winger. His underlying numbers are fantastic, and on the right team and in the right situation he could definitely be a 20-30 goal scorer.

15. Paul Stastny. He is not going to be a foundational player anymore but if you have him centering your second or third line you are going to be in pretty good shape. [Re-signed with Jets: 1 year, $3.75 million.]

16. Keith Yandle. At this point you probably need to shelter him a little in a role where he can focus on offense. There is still value in that. [Signed with Flyers: 1-year, $900,000]

17. Zach Parise. Parise is not totally finished, but his production did take a noticeable drop this season when the Wild used him. Still, he is just one year removed from a 25-goal season (in less than 70 games) and can still score a little. Is he a good fit for the Islanders?

18. Alec Martinez. Martinez had one of his best years ever during the 2020-21 season with the Golden Knights, and it could not have happened at a better time for him. Do not expect a repeat of that offensive performance, but he can still contribute. [Re-signed with Golden Knights: 3-year, $15.75 million.]

19. Mike Hoffman. Hoffman is a one-dimensional player that does one thing well: score goals. Fortunately, that is an important dimension. He is not going to make much of an impact without the puck on his stick. [Signed with Canadiens: 3-year, $13.5 million]

20. Tyson Barrie. Barrie signed a one-year deal with the Oilers for this past season and definitely did a lot to help is value for this free agent class. He picked the right team to get a sheltered role, power play minutes, and time on the ice with two of the best offensive players in the world (Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl). Do not let that trick you into thinking he is a top-pairing player, though. Good player. Just needs to be put in the right role. [Re-signed with Oilers: 3-year, $13.5 million]

—

Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.

2021-22 NHL offseason trade tracker

July 29, 2021

July 22

Calgary Flames: Tyler Pitlick
Seattle Kraken: 2022 fourth-round pick

July 22 (Link)

Detroit Red Wings: Alex Nedeljkovic
Carolina Hurricanes: Jonathan Bernier (signing rights), 2021 third-round pick

July 22 (Link)

Philadelphia Flyers: Future considerations
Arizona Coyotes: Shayne Gostisbehere, 2022 second-round pick, 2022 seventh-round pick

NHL Power Rankings: Updated 2021 free agent rankings

July 26, 2021

In this week’s edition of the NHL Power Rankings we take an updated look at the top unrestricted free agents that willl be available when the free agent signing period begins on Wednesday.

We have also seen a few additional players hit the open market due to buyouts, including Zach Parise, Ryan Suter, and Keith Yandle.

Here we will take a look at the top remaining players entering the week.

Who all makes the list this week?

To this week’s NHL Power Rankings!

Players Most Likely To Re-Sign

1. Alex Ovechkin. His 13-year contract is over and that technically makes him eligible for unrestricted free agency. But we all know he is going to end up in Washington, right?

Moving On For A Bigger Payday

Time For A Change

12. Jaden Schwartz. Really good second-line forward that will score 20 goals and help drive possession. A good Plan B for any team that does not get one of the top forwards.

15. Paul Stastny. He is not going to be a foundational player anymore but if you have him centering your second or third line you are going to be in pretty good shape.

16. Keith Yandle. At this point you probably need to shelter him a little in a role where he can focus on offense. There is still value in that.

—

Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.

PHT Morning Skate: Kuznetsov’s future; Ekman-Larsson on Canucks

July 26, 2021

Welcome to the PHT Morning Skate, a collection of links from the NHL and around the hockey world. Have a link you want to submit for the PHT Morning Skate? Email us at phtblog@nbcsports.

• Is there a future for Evgeny Kuznetsov with the Capitals? [Washington Hockey Now]

• Capitals GM Brian MacLellan said he expects to get an extension done with Alex Ovechkin before free agency opens on Wednesday. [NoVa Caps]

• A Jack Eichel trade may be complicated, but GM Kevyn Adams says he’s fine if the captain is still with the team when training camp opens. [Buffalo Hockey Beat]

• Once he clears waivers on Monday, the buyout process of Jake Virtanen will be complete. [Canucks Army]

• Oliver Ekman-Larsson on his trade to the Canucks: “It’s been crazy, but I’m super excited to be in Vancouver and what’s ahead of us. A little bit of a relief, too, in talking about this (trade) for a year now, and I kind of felt we were running out of time last year. But I’m happy. New start and a fresh start.” [Province]

• If Mr. Burns is looking for another softball team full of ringers, he should give Nate Schmidt a call:

WE’D LIKE TO REPORT A ROBBERY FROM TEAM REILLY AT THE BATTLE FOR VEGAS 😵😵😵 pic.twitter.com/za7ugYxeMc

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) July 25, 2021

• Kings GM Rob Blake on drafting Brandt Clarke with their first pick and his free agency plans. [Mayor’s Manor]

• Ottawa’s head scout Trent Mann defends the club’s approach to the 2021 NHL Draft. [Ottawa Sun]

• Patience and with salary cap flexibility is Ron Francis’ plan as he builds the Kraken’s first roster. [NHL.com]

• The Red Wings are bringing back Marc Staal on a one-year, $2 million contract. [MLive]

————

Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy

2021 NHL Draft Tracker: Round 1 picks, notes; Results for Rounds 2-7

July 24, 2021

The 2021 NHL Draft began as expected: with the Sabres selecting Owen Power first overall. From there, we saw surprises, including one that required a team statement.

With Round 1 complete on Friday, follow along on PHT for results from Rounds 2-7.

2021 NHL Draft

Round 1

1. Buffalo Sabres — Owen Power, D, Michigan (NCAA)

“In truth, he is a unique player, combining amazing size, strong skating, a big shot, great vision, the ability (if not necessarily the proclivity) to play a dominating physical game.” Ryan Wagman, McKeen’s Hockey

2. Seattle Kraken — Matthew Beniers, C, Michigan (NCAA)

It’s probably not fair to compare Beniers to Ron Francis, the Kraken GM who drafted him. That will be tough to avoid, though, because Beniers brings the sort of two-way game that’s expected to translate smoothly to the NHL.

Want more on Beniers, and the Kraken making their first-ever draft pick at No. 2? Click here.

3. Anaheim Ducks — Mason McTavish, C, Peterborough (OHL)

“The Ducks desperately need offensive players, and in McTavish they get high-end skill blended with size and strength through the middle. And McTavish was an impact player during his time in the Swiss League, playing with and against older, more physically developed competition.” — NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman.

4. New Jersey Devils — Luke Hughes, D, USA U-18 (USNTDP)

Doesn’t get much better than keeping brothers together, does it? Jack Hughes certainly looked elated that the Devils drafted Luke Hughes fourth overall, that’s for sure.

The @NJDevils take Luke Hughes with the No. 4 pick and his brother couldn’t be happier! #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/hTEbBXcaYt

— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) July 24, 2021

5. Columbus Blue Jackets — Kent Johnson, C, Michigan (NCAA)

“His puck skills are sublime, even if he needs to simplify his game to manage his risk taking better.” Ryan Wagman, McKeen’s Hockey

A historic night:
Picks
No. 1
No. 2
No. 4
No. 5

FOUR of the first FIVE picks of the @NHL Draft are Michigan Wolverines! https://t.co/rLjCxHUpqx | #GoBlue 〽️ pic.twitter.com/M2sHWBCCBH

— Michigan Athletics 〽️ (@UMichAthletics) July 24, 2021

6. Detroit Red Wings — Simon Edvinsson, D, Frolunda (SHL)

Edvinsson ranks as one of the 2021 NHL Draft’s most interesting prospects, as he was projected to fall in many spots. No doubt, size is a big selling point for the big Swedish defenseman.

” (Edvinsson) … combines incredible skating and puck skills in a supersized frame, a talent the likes of which this team has nothing like. He is raw, and likely needs at least two more years of development, but the upside is a star,” Ryan Wagman, McKeen’s Hockey

7. San Jose Sharks — William Eklund, LW, Djurgarden (SHL)

People started to clamor for Eklund pretty quickly.

We’ve reached the point of the draft where every pick from this point forward that is not William Eklund will be met with a large scoff from me.

— Jesse Marshall (@jmarshfof) July 24, 2021

Well, the fall didn’t last too long? Depends upon who you ask, perhaps. (Ryan Wagman mock-drafted Eklund at seven.)

8. Los Angeles Kings – Brandt Clarke, D, Barrie (OHL)

” … In a sentence, Clarke projects as a second or third defenseman who can be on a top NHL power-play unit but may not be able to face top opponents defensively.” – Corey Pronman, The Athletic (sub required).

9. Arizona Coyotes (from VAN) — Dylan Guenther, RW, Edmonton (WHL)

” … He becomes a massive component of Arizona’s next rebuild. I see a lot about his game that translates to the pros and you can see him finishing plays from Clayton Keller, Barrett Hayton and Victor Soderstrom for many years, and driving a line with his great two-way play. He was my No. 2 ranked prospect,” – Corey Pronman, The Athletic (sub required).

10. Ottawa Senators — Tyler Boucher, RW, USA U-18 (USNTDP)

“In a sentence, Boucher projects as a bottom-six NHL winger who will be one of the most physical players in a game.” Corey Pronman, The Athletic (sub required).

*11. Forfeited pick*

12. Columbus Blue Jackets (from CHI) — Cole Sillinger, C, Sioux Falls (USHL)

“Sillinger stands out for his high-end hockey IQ, excellent vision, playmaking ability, an NHL-ready shot and the ability to control the game with the puck on his stick.” – NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman.

13. Calgary Flames — Matthew Coronato, RW, Chicago (USHL)

“Coronato is a dominant offensive force who blends top-end goal scoring, strong skating and a physical approach, similar to United States Hockey Hall of Fame forward John LeClair. He was nicknamed “Bison” because of the way he goes hard to the net in the offensive zone.” – NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman.

14. Buffalo Sabres (from PHI) — Isak Rosen, RW, Leksands IF (SHL)

“Isak Rosen has a full toolshed of high-end offensive elements. Being forced to play in the SHL after the Swedish junior leagues were cancelled didn’t help his stat page, but was a great learning experience, which his seven goals in seven games at the U18s illustrated.” – Ryan Wagman, McKeen’s Hockey

15. Detroit Red Wings (from DAL) — Sebastian Cossa, G, Edmonton (WHL)

Heading into the 2021 NHL Draft, people wondered if as many as two goalies could go in the top 10. There was also debate between Cossa or Jesper Wallstedt as the first goalie to go in the 2021 NHL Draft. Ultimately, the Red Wings traded up to land a big goalie. They’ve been aggressive attempting to improve at net, as Cossa is the prospect to pair with prime-age goalie Alex Nedeljkovic.

16. NY Rangers — Brennan Othmann, LW, Flint (OHL)
17. St. Louis Blues — Zachary Bolduc, C, Rimouski (QMJHL)
18. Winnipeg Jets – Chaz Lucius, C, USA U-18 (USNTDP)
19. Nashville Predators — Fedor Svechkov, C, Togliatti (VHL)
20. Minnesota Wild (from EDM) – Jesper Wallstedt, G, Lulea (SHL)

Jesper Wallstedt was a league-average goalie who played 22 games in the SHL, one of the best leagues in the world. As a draft-eligible player.

That’s unprecedented this century for a 17-year-old.

Getting him for the cost of a 3rd in a weak draft is nice work by Judd Brackett

— Tony of the USS 10KRinks.com (@OhHiTony) July 24, 2021

21. Boston Bruins — Fabian Lysell, RW, Lulea (SHL)

The Bruins inject some much-needed skill in their prospect pool with a guy like Fabian Lysell. His highlight reel is … fun to watch: pic.twitter.com/ySovl7mxbu

— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) July 24, 2021

22. Edmonton Oilers (from MIN) — Xavier Bourgault, C, Shawinigan (QMJHL)
23. Dallas Stars (Detroit; WSH) — Wyatt Johnston, C, Windsor (OHL)
24. Florida Panthers — Mackie Samoskevich, RW, Chicago (USHL)
25. Columbus Blue Jackets (from TOR) — Corson Ceulemans, D, Brooks (AJHL)
26. Minnesota Wild (from PIT) — Carson Lambos, D, Winnipeg (WHL)
27. Nashville Predators (from CAR) — Zachary L’Heureux, LW, Halifax (QMJHL)
28. Colorado Avalanche — Oskar Olausson, RW, HV71 (SHL)
29. New Jersey Devils (from NYI) — Chase Stillman, RW, Sudbury (OHL)
30. Vegas Golden Knights — Zach Dean, C, Gatineau (QMJHL)
31. Montreal Canadiens — Logan Mailloux, D, London (OHL)
32. Chicago Blackhawks (from TBL via CBJ) — Nolan Allan, D, Prince Albert (WHL)

Pick 11 – The NHL directed the forfeiture of this pick in sanctions against the Arizona Coyotes announced Aug. 26, 2020.

Also, here’s the complete 2021 NHL Draft order for rounds 2-7:

Round 2

33. Buffalo Sabres: Prokhor Poltapov, LW, CSKA-2 (MHL)
34. Anaheim Ducks: Olen Zellweger, D, Everett (WHL)
35. Seattle Kraken: Ryker Evans, D, Regina (WHL)
36. Detroit Red Wings: Shai Buium, D, Sioux City (USHL)
37. Arizona Coyotes: Josh Doan, RW, Chicago (USHL)
38. Vegas Golden Knights: Daniil Chayka, D, CSKA (Russia)
39. Ottawa Senators: Zack Ostapchuk, C, Vancouver (WHL)
40. Carolina Hurricanes: Scott Morrow, D, Shattuck St. Mary’s (High MN)
41. Vancouver Canucks: Danila Klimovich, RW, Minsk Zubry (Belarus 2)
42. Los Angeles Kings: Francesco Pinelli, C, Kitchener (OHL)
43. Arizona Coyotes: Ilya Fedotov, LW, Nizhny Novgorod 2 (Russia Jr.)
44. Carolina Hurricanes: Aleksi Heimosalmi, D, Assat Jr. (Finland Jr.)
45. Calgary Flames: William Stromgren, LW, Modo (Sweden 2)
46. Philadelphia Flyers: Samu Tuomaala, RW, Karpat (Finland Jr.)
47. Dallas Stars: Logan Stankoven, C, Kamloops (WHL)
48. Dallas Stars: Artem Grushnikov, D, CSKA-2 (Russia Jr.)
49. Ottawa Senators: Ben Roger, D, London (OHL)
50. Winnipeg Jets: Nikita Chibrikov, RW, St. Petersburg (Russia)
51. Carolina Hurricanes: Ville Koivunen, RW, Karpat Jr. (Finland Jr.)
52. New York Islanders: Aatu Raty, C, Karpat (Finland)
53. Buffalo Sabres: Aleksandr Kisakov, LW, Dynamo Moscow-2 (Russia Jr.)
54. Minnesota Wild: Jack Peart, D, Grand Rapids (High MN)
55. Washington Capitals: Vincent Iorio, D, Brandon (WHL)
56. Florida Panthers: Evan Nause, D, Quebec (QMJHL)
57. Toronto Maple Leafs: Matthew Knies, LW, Tri-City (USHL)
58. Pittsburgh Penguins: Tristan Broz, C, Fargo (USHL)
59. Los Angeles Kings: Samuel Helenius, C, JYP (Finland)
60. Arizona Coyotes: Janis Moser, D, Biel (Switzerland)
61. Colorado Avalanche: Sean Behrens, D, USA U-18 (NTDP)
62. Chicago Blackhawks: Colton Dach, C, Saskatoon (WHL)
63. Montreal Canadiens: Riley Kidney, C, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
64. Montreal Canadiens: Oliver Kapanen, C, Kalpa Jr. (Finland Jr.)

Round 3

65. New York Rangers: Jayden Grubbe, C, Red Deer (WHL)
66. Anaheim Ducks: Sasha Pastujov, RW, USA U-18 (NTDP)
67. Seattle Kraken: Ryan Winterton, C, Hamilton (OHL)
68. New Jersey Devils: Samu Salminen, C, Jokerit Jr. (Finland Jr.)
69. Columbus Blue Jackets: Stanislav Svozil, D, Brno (Czech)
70. Detroit Red Wings: Carter Mazur, LW, Tri-City (USHL)
71. St. Louis Blues: Simon Robertsson, RW, Skelleftea (Sweden)
72. Nashville Predators: Anton Olsson, D, Malmo (Sweden)
73. Dallas Stars: Ayrton Martino, LW, Omaha (USHL)
74. Ottawa Senators: Oliver Johansson, LW, Timra (Sweden)
75. New York Rangers: Ryder Korczak, C, Moose Jaw (WHL)
76. Anaheim Ducks: Tyson Hinds, D, Rimouski (QMJHL)
77. Calgary Flames: Cole Huckins, C, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
78. Philadelphia Flyers: Aleksei Kolosov, G, Minsk (Russia)
79. Dallas Stars: Justin Ertel, LW, Summerside (MHL)
80. Washington Capitals: Brent Johnson, D, Sioux Falls (USHL)
81. San Jose Sharks: Benjamin Gaudreau, G, Sarnia (OHL)
82. Winnipeg Jets: Dmitry Kuzmin, D, Molodechno (Belarus)
83. Carolina Hurricanes: Patrik Hamrla, G, Karlovy Vary (Czech)
84. Los Angeles Kings: Kirill Kirsanov, D, St. Petersburg (Russia)
85. Boston Bruins: Brett Harrison, C, Oshawa (OHL)
86. Minnesota Wild: Caedan Bankier, C, Kamloops (WHL)
87. Montreal Canadiens: Dmitri Kostenko, D, Spartak (Russia)
88. Buffalo Sabres: Stiven Sardarian, RW, CSKA-2 (Russia Jr.)
89. Calgary Flames: Cameron Whynot, D, Halifax (QMJHL)
90. Edmonton Oilers – Luca Munzenberger, D, Koln Jr. (Germany)
91. Chicago Blackhawks: Taige Harding, D, Fort McMurray (AJHL)
92. Colorado Avalanche: Andrei Buyalski, C, Dubuque (USHL)
93. New York Islanders: Tristan Lennox, G, Saginaw (OHL)
94. Carolina Hurricanes: Aidan Hreschuk, D, Team USA U18 (NTDP)
95. Buffalo Sabres: Josh Bloom, LW, Saginaw (OHL)
96. Tampa Bay Lightning: Roman Schmidt, D, Team USA U18 (NTDP)

Round 4

97. Buffalo Sabres: Olivier Nadeau, RW, Shawinigan (QMJHL)
98. Anaheim Ducks: Joshua Lopina, C, UMass (H-East)
99. Seattle Kraken: Ville Ottavainen, D, JYP (Finland)
100. New Jersey Devils: Jakub Malek, G, Vsetin (Czech-2)
101. Columbus Blue Jackets: Guillaume Richard, D, Tri-City (USHL)
102. Vegas Golden Knights: Jakub Brabenec, C, Brno (Czech)
103. San Jose Sharks: Gannon Laroque, D, Victoria (WHL)
104. New York Rangers: Brody Lamb, RW, Dodge County (High MN)
105. Chicago Blackhawks: Ethan Del Mastro, D, Mississauga (OHL)
106. New York Rangers: Kalle Vaisanen, LW, TPS (Finland)
107. Arizona Coyotes: Emil Martinsen Lilleberg, D, Oskarshamn (Sweden)
108. Chicago Blackhawks: Victor Stjernborg, C, Vaxjo (Sweden)
109. Carolina Hurricanes: Jackson Blake, RW, Eden Prairie (High MN)
110. Philadelphia Flyers: Brian Zanetti, D, Peterborough (OHL)
111. Dallas Stars: Conner Roulette, LW, Seattle (WHL)
112. New York Rangers: Talyn Boyko, G, Tri-City (WHL)
113. Montreal Canadiens: William Trudeau, D, Charlottetown (QMJHL)
114. Detroit Red Wings: Redmond Savage, C, USA U-18 (NTDP)
115. Nashville Predators: Ryan Ufko, D, Chicago (USHL)
116. Edmonton Oilers: Jake Chiasson, C, Brandon (WHL)
117. Boston Bruins: Philip Svedeback, G, Vaxjo Jr. (Sweden Jr.)
118. Minnesota Wild: Kyle Masters, D, Red Deer (WHL)
119. Washington Capitals: Joaquim Lemay, D, Salmon Arm (BCHL)
120. Florida Panthers: Vladislav Lukashevich, D, Yaroslavl 2 (Russia Jr.)
121. San Jose Sharks: Ethan Cardwell, RW, Barrie (OHL)
122. Arizona Coyotes: Rasmus Korhonen, G, Assat (Finland)
123. Ottawa Senators: Carson Latimer, RW, Edmonton (WHL)
124. Nashville Predators: Jack Matier, D, Ottawa (OHL)
125. New York Islanders: Cameron Berg, C, Muskegon (USHL)
126. Tampa Bay Lightning: Dylan Duke, LW, US U-18 (NTDP)
127. Minnesota Wild: Josh Pillar, C, Kamloops (WHL)
128. Vegas Golden Knights: Jakub Demek, C, Edmonton (OHL)

Round 5

129. New Jersey Devils: Topias Vilen, D, Pelicans (Finland)
130. Anaheim Ducks: Sean Tschigerl, LW, Calgary (WHL)
131. Seattle Kraken: Jacob Melanson, RW, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
132. Columbus Blue Jackets: Nikolai Makarov, D, CSKA-2 (Russia Jr.)
133. Columbus Blue Jackets: James Malatesta, LW, Quebec (QMJHL)
134. Detroit Red Wings: Liam Dower Nilsson, C, Frolunda Jr. (Sweden Jr.)
135. San Jose Sharks: Artem Guryev, D, Lindsay (OJHL)
136. Carolina Hurricanes: Robert Orr, RW, Halifax (QMJHL)
137. Vancouver Canucks: Aku Koskenvuo, G, HIFK Jr. (Finland Jr.)
138. Dallas Stars: Jack Bar, D, Chicago (USHL)
139. Arizona Coyotes: Manix Landry, C, Gatineau (QMJHL)
140. Vancouver Canucks: Jonathan Myrenberg, D, Linkoping Jr. (Sweden Jr.)
141. Calgary Flames: Cole Jordan, D, Moose Jaw (WHL)
142. Montreal Canadiens: Daniil Sobolev, D, Spartak 2 (Russia Jr.)
143. Dallas Stars: Jacob Holmes, D, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
144. New York Rangers: Jaroslav Chmelar, RW, Jokerit Jr. (Finland Jr.)
145. St. Louis Blues: Tyson Galloway, D, Calgary (WHL)
146. Winnipeg Jets: Dmitri Rashevsky, RW, Krasnogorsk (Russia Jr.)
147. Carolina Hurricanes: Justin Robidas, C, Val-D’Or (QMJHL)
148. Anaheim Ducks: Gage Alexander, G, Winnipeg (WHL)
149. Boston Bruins: Oskar Jellvik, LW, Djurgarden Jr. (Sweden Jr.)
150. Montreal Canadiens: Joshua Roy, RW, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
151. Washington Capitals: Haakon Hanelt, C, Eisbaren Berlin (Germany)
152. Florida Panthers: Kirill Gerasimyuk, G, SKA-Varyagi (Russia Jr.)
153. Toronto Maple Leafs: Ty Voit, LW, Gatineau (QMJHL)
154. Pittsburgh Penguins: Isaac Beliveau, D, Gatineau (QMJHL)
155. Detroit Red Wings: Oscar Plandowski, D, Charlottetown (QMJHL)
156. San Jose Sharks: Max McCue, C, London (OHL)
157. New York Islanders: Eetu Liukas, LW, TPS (Finland)
158. Philadelphia Flyers: Ty Murchison, US U-18 (NTDP)
159. Buffalo Sabres: Viljami Marjala, LW, Quebec (QMJHL)
160. Tampa Bay Lightning: Cameron Macdonald, C, Saint John (QMJHL)

Round 6

161. Buffalo Sabres: William Von Barnekow Lofberg, C, Malmo (Sweden)
162. Anaheim Ducks: Kyle Kukkonen, C, Maple Grove (High MN)
163. Seattle Kraken: Semyon Vyazovoi, G, UFA-2 (Russia Jr.)
164. New Jersey Devils: Viktor Hurtig, D, Vasteras Jr. (Sweden Jr.)
165. Columbus Blue Jackets: Ben Boyd, LW, Charlottetown (QMJHL)
166. Detroit Red Wings: Pasquale Zito, LW, Windsor (OHL)
167. San Jose Sharks: Liam Gilmartin, LW, London (OHL)
168. Calgary Flames: Jack Beck, RW, Ottawa (OHL)
169. Vancouver Canucks: Hugo Gabrielson, D, Vastervik (Sweden Jr.)
170. Carolina Hurricanes: Bryce Montgomery, D, London (OHL)
171. Arizona Coyotes: Cal Thomas, D, Maple Grove (High MN)
172. Chicago Blackhawks: Ilya Safonov, C, Kazan (Russia)
173. Calgary Flames: Lucas Ciona, LW, Seattle (WHL)
174. Philadelphia Flyers: Ethan Samson, D, Prince George (WHL)
175. Dallas Stars: Francesco Arcuri, C, Kingston (OHL)
176. Washington Capitals: Dru Krebs, D, Medicine Hat (WHL)
177. San Jose Sharks: Theo Jacobsson, C, Modo Jr. (Sweden Jr.)
178. Vancouver Canucks: Connor Lockhart, RW, Portland (WHL)
179. Nashville Predators: Simon Knak, RW, Portland (WHL)
180. Edmonton Oilers: Matvey Petrov, LW, Krylja Sovetov 2 (Russia Jr.)
181. Boston Bruins: Ryan Mast, D, Sarnia (OHL)
182. Minnesota Wild: Nate Benoit, D, Mount St. Charles (High RI)
183. Washington Capitals: Chase Clark, G, Jersey (USPHL)
184. Florida Panthers: Jakub Kos, LW, Ilves (Finland)
185. Toronto Maple Leafs: Vyacheslav Peksa, Irbis Kazan (Russia Jr.)
186. Edmonton Oilers: Shane Lachance, LW, Junior Bruins (USPHL)
187. Carolina Hurricanes: Nikita Quapp, G, Krefeld (Germany)
188. Buffalo Sabres: Nikita Novikov, D, Dynamo Moscow 2 (Russia Jr.)
189. New York Islanders: Aleksi Malinen, D, JYP (Finland)
190. Vegas Golden Knights: Artur Cholach, D, Sokol Kiev (Ukraine)
191. Montreal Canadiens: Xavier Simoneau, C, Drummondville (QMJHL)
192. Tampa Bay Lightning: Alex Gagne, D, Muskegon (USHL)

Round 7

193. Buffalo Sabres: Tyson Kozak, C, Portland (WHL)
194. Pittsburgh Penguins: Ryan McCleary, D, Portland (WHL)
195. Seattle Kraken: Justin Janicke, LW, US U-18 (NTDP)
196. Tampa Bay Lightning: Daniil Pylenkov, D, St. Petersburg (Russia)
197. Columbus Blue Jackets: Martin Rysavy, RW, Moose Jaw (WHL)
198. St. Louis Blues: Ivan Vorobyov, RW, Khanty-Mansiysk 2 (Russia Jr.)
199. San Jose Sharks: Evgenii Kashnikov, D, Gatineau (QMJHL)
200. Carolina Hurricanes: Yegor Naumov, G, Krylja Sovetov 2 (Russia Jr.)
201. Vancouver Canucks: Lucas Forsell, LW, Farjestad Jr. (Sweden Jr.)
202. Ottawa Senators: Chandler Romeo, D, Brantford (GOJHL)
203. New Jersey Devils: Zakhar Bardakov, C, St. Petersburg (Russia)
204. Chicago Blackhawks: Connor Kelley, D, Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC)
205. Calgary Flames: Arsenii Sergeev, G, Shreveport (NAHL)
206. Philadelphia Flyers: Owen McLaughlin, C, Mount St. Charles (High RI)
207. Dallas Stars: Albert Sjoberg, RW, Sodertalje (Sweden Jr.)
208. New York Rangers: Hank Kempf, D, Muskegon (USHL)
209. Carolina Hurricanes: Nikita Guslistov, C, Cherepovets (Russia)
210. Florida Panthers: Braden Hache, D, Kingston (OHL)
211. Tampa Bay Lightning: Robert Flinton, LW, St. Paul’s School (High NH)
212. Edmonton Oilers: Maximus Wanner, D, Moose Jaw (WHL)
213. Boston Bruins: Andre Gasseau, C, US U-18 (NTDP)
214. Montreal Canadiens: Joe Vrbetic, G, North Bay (OHL)
215. Pittsburgh Penguins: Daniel Laatsch, D, Sioux City (USHL)
216. Chicago Blackhawks: Jalen Luypen, C, Edmonton (WHL)
217. Boston Bruins: Ty Gallagher, D, Boston University (H-East)
218. Pittsburgh Penguins: Kirill Tankov, C, Ska-Varyagi (Russia Jr.)
219. Carolina Hurricanes: Joel Nystrom, D, Farjestad (Sweden)
220. Colorado Avalanche: Taylor Makar, LW, Brooks (AJHL)
221. New York Islanders: Tomas Machu, D, Vitkovice Jr. (Czech Jr.)
222. Vegas Golden Knights: Carl Lindbom, G, Djurgarden Jr. (Sweden Jr.)
223. Arizona Coyotes: Samuel Lipkin, LW, Chicago (USHL)
224. Tampa Bay Lightning: Niko Huuhtanen, RW, Tappara Jr. (Finland Jr.)

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