NHL Offseason Signings
As the days count down till puck drop of the 2022-2023 NHL season, general managers league-wide have been working tirelessly in the free agency market and trading assets in hopes to give their team a better chance to make a deep playoff run in the upcoming season.
Many notable players will suit up in new colors this season and many will stay put. Contract extensions were plentiful and some free agency acquisitions were groundbreaking.
Let's take a look at the five most noteworthy unrestricted free agency signings and trades from around the league that occurred this offseason.
Johnny Gaudreau – 29 – Calgary Flames to the Columbus Blue Jackets – 7 x $9.75M
The superstar left winger shocked teams and fans from around the world as he decided to sign in Columbus, avoiding a contract renewal in Calgary, and declining offers from the Devils and Islanders, ultimately missing out on millions of more dollars.
Gaudreau, coming off of his best season, scoring 40 goals, told the media he was looking for a fresh start with a team closer to home in New Jersey, but wound up getting a deal done with Columbus. Gaudreau looks forward to joining Patrik Laine and the rest of the Jackets.
Matthew Tkachuk – 24 – Calgary Flames to the Florida Panthers – 8 x $9.5M
Calgary lost another key piece of their core over this offseason, shipping off winger Matthew Tkachuk to Florida in return for winger Jonathan Huberdeau, 29, defensemen MacKenzie Weegar, 28, prospect Cole Schwindt, 21, and a 2025 first-round draft pick.
This trade has been labeled one of the biggest blockbuster trades in the past decade. Though Calgary’s two most high-profile players are no longer with the team, the Flames got a hefty return for their losses.
Nazem Kadri – 31 – Colorado Avalanche to the Calgary Flames – 7 x $7M
After the Flames lost Johnny Gaudreua and Matthew Tkachuk in the span of two weeks, Flames’ General Manager Brad Treliving scrambled to patch the gaping holes in his lineup.
Treliving explored the free agency market and came across the recent Stanley Cup Champion, Nazem Kadri. After a breakout year with an outstanding 16-point postseason performance, Kadri drew attention from across the league.
With his spike in performance, and Colorado’s ongoing salary cap issue, Kadri was unable to get a deal done with the Avs, pointing him towards the free agency market. Kadri went on to sign a contract with Calgary, a whopping 7-year, $7-million deal, including an $11-million signing bonus.
Ondrej Palat – 31 – Tampa Bay Lightning to the New Jersey Devils – 5 x $6M
Following an underwhelming past few seasons in the Garden State, Devils’ General Manager Tom Fitzgerald decided to test the waters in free agency, searching for a gritty, goalscoring veteran presence to aid his young core.
With the talents of captain Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt and Dawson Mercer, many feel the Devils are a few signings away from being real Cup contenders. Fitzgerald stumbled across Ondrej Palat, a staple of the back-to-back Cup championship team in Tampa Bay. As Tampa continues to struggle with cap space, they decided to part ways with Palat, leaving him unprotected as an unrestricted free agent.
Palat, a consistent 30+ point scorer, found his new home in New Jersey, inking a 30 million dollar contract, with 15 million dollars in signing bonuses.
Vincent Trocheck – 29 – Carolina Hurricanes to the New York Rangers – 7 x $5.625M
As the Rangers are anticipating many more deep playoff runs for years to come, Chris Drury, the Rangers general manager acquired Vincent Trocheck, a five-time, 40-point scorer from Carolina via free agency, attempting to fill the gaps of the departures of Andrew Copp, Ryan Strome and
Frank Vatrano.
Trocheck, a solid center with playoff experience, has become a hot name across the league, and will fit in well with coach Gerard Gallant’s playoff-caliber lineup.
Owen Gelber is a first-year stdent majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email omg5144@psu.edu.
