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NHL Free Agency: Leafs agree to terms with TJ Brodie

The whirlwind offseason continues in full flight, and free agency is finally underway.

We’ll keep you posted on all the major signings, trades, and other developments as they happen throughout the day here.

Maple Leafs sign defenseman TJ Brodie

Toronto GM Kyle Dubas made a late-day splash in an effort to shore up the team’s blue line, inking now-former Flames defenseman TJ Brodie to a four-year deal.

Though he’s left-handed, Brodie plays the right side and has proven to be more than capable in a top-pairing role alongside Calgary captain Mark Giordano over the past few campaigns.

Toronto and Vegas speak to Pietrangelo

Alex Pietrangelo — with due apologies to Taylor Hall — is the most sought-after free agent on this year’s market and, as expected, has a pair of high-profile suitors after him.

Toronto and Vegas have spoken to Pietrangelo, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger.

Discussions between the Blues and Pietrangelo have reportedly broken down, inviting a number of teams to swoop in for the All-Star defenceman.

Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas would later confirm that he hasn’t spoken to Pietrangelo directly, but has spoken to his agency.

When the Golden Knights traded Paul Stastny to the Jets, many believed it was an attempt to free up cap space in order to pursue Pietrangelo, while the Leafs have expressed interest in securing a much-needed star defenceman. Like Wayne Simmonds, and John Tavares before him, the prospect of playing at home could be enticing for the King City native.

Flames get their man, sign Markstrom to 6-year contract

Jacob Markstrom is going to be the man in Calgary for a very long time.

Related: Flames land marquee netminder Jacob Markstrom

Markstrom signed a six-year contract worth $6 million per season. The 30-year-old underwent a career year in 2019-20, earning his first All-Star selection, posting a 23-16-4 record with a .918 save percentage and 2.75 GAA.

Calgary now boasts a solid 1-2 punch in net, with David Rittich likely relegated to backup duty as a result of the signing.

Markstrom will now replace Cam Talbot, who joined the Wild earlier Friday on a three-year contract. Meanwhile, Braden Holtby takes over for Markstrom in Vancouver. As expected, through Day 1, the goaltending landscape in the Western Conference looks dramatically different.

For more on the Markstrom signing, Yahoo Sports NHL reporter Justin Cuthbert has the full breakdown here.

Stars re-sign playoff hero Anton Khudobin

Anton Khudobin is going home, and in a good way.

Khudobin, who backstopped the Stars to the Stanley Cup Final, was rewarded with a three-year contract worth an AAV of $3.3 million per season, running through the 2022-23 season.

The 34-year-old posted a 16-8-4 mark with a .930 save percentage and a 2.22 GAA in 30 games during the regular season. Khudobin took over for the injured Ben Bishop during the playoffs, playing all 24 games, recording a 2.63 GAA and .917 save percentage as the Stars lost to the Lightning in six games.

Dallas released a pretty sweet tribute video to honour its eccentric netminder.

Shattenkirk’s redemption tour continues with Ducks

Kevin Shattenkirk’s redemption tour will continue in sunny California.

Shattenkirk was bought out by the Rangers after the 2018-19 season, a decision that he vehemently disagreed with. After helping the Lightning lift the Cup with a strong postseason, Shattenkirk earned a three-year contract worth an AAV of $3.9 million from the Ducks, according to multiple sources.

The 31-year-old was in top form for the Lightning on a team-friendly deal, with his skating, puck-moving ability and shot creation paying dividends. Shattenkirk scored the winning goal in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup and was a key contributor to their Stanley Cup run and though his tenure with the Lightning was short-lived, both the team and player have to be thrilled about how their one-year partnership worked out.

Canucks add Holtby on 2-year contract, say goodbye to Markstrom

Braden Holtby is joining the Vancouver Canucks. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Braden Holtby is joining the Vancouver Canucks. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Vancouver made one of the first major splashes of the free agency window, signing Braden Holtby to a two-year, $8.6 million deal.

Holtby spent his entire career with the Washington Capitals before testing free agency, winning the Vezina Trophy in 2016 and backstopped his club to the Stanley Cup in 2018. Washington signed Henrik Lundqvist on Friday, solidifying its pairing with Ilya Samsonov under contract.

Related: Canucks sign Braden Holtby to replacing departing Jacob Markstrom

Although Holtby is a five-time All-Star, earning a selection to the league’s showcase in 2020, he’s also coming off the worst year of his career, where he posted a 3.11 GAA and a ghastly .897 save percentage. Simply, he was just an All-Star in name last year.

This almost certainly spells the end for Jacob Markstrom in Vancouver, who is also an unrestricted free agent.

For more on the Holtby signing, Yahoo Sports NHL reporter Justin Cuthbert has the full breakdown here.

Murray reportedly signs multi-year extension with Senators

Matt Murray is the goaltender of the present and the future for the Senators.

Murray signed a four-year extension worth $25 million on Friday, keeping him in the nation’s capital for the foreseeable future as the Senators aim to accelerate their rebuild.

The 26-year-old was traded to the Senators from the Penguins on Wednesday, in exchange for prospect Jonathan Gruden and a 2020 second-round pick.

Murray backstopped the Penguins to Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017 but is coming off the worst season of his career, posting a .899 save percentage with a 2.87 GAA in 38 games.

Ottawa is clearly betting on Murray’s 2020 season as an aberration as it looks to reach the salary cap floor.

Leafs sign Wayne Simmonds

Wayne Simmonds is coming home.

Simmonds signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Maple Leafs, according to multiple sources. The 32-year-old was reportedly considering the Maple Leafs and Canadiens as potential options.

Related: Wayne Simmonds signs one-year deal with Maple Leafs

Playing in Toronto was clearly a selling point for the Scarborough native.

At this point, Simmonds is no longer a top-six option but can provide secondary scoring and will compete for a spot in the lineup among Toronto’s deep forward corps.

For more on the Simmonds signing, Yahoo Sports NHL reporter Justin Cuthbert has the full breakdown here.

Wild find starting goaltender with Cam Talbot deal

Minnesota found its new starting goaltender, signing Cam Talbot to a three-year deal reportedly worth $11 million, according to multiple sources.

Talbot went 12-10-1 with a .919 save percentage and 2.63 GAA last season with the Flames.

It’s a robust goaltending market, with several veterans still on the market, but for the time being, Talbot looks to get the majority share of starts for the Wild.

Oilers ink Kyle Turris to 2-year deal

This may not be the reinforcement some imagined, but the Oilers added some much-needed secondary scoring on Friday, signing Kyle Turris to a two-year contract.

Turris will be paid $1.65 million in each season, a below-market value deal for a 31-year-old right-handed centre.

Last season, Turris recorded 31 points in 62 games for the Predators, and could find himself in a top-six role aiding Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Blackhawks re-sign Kubalik to 2-year extension

Dominik Kubalik took the hockey world by surprise during his rookie year and he’ll remain with the Blackhawks for the foreseeable future.

Kubalik inked a two-year extension worth $3.7 million after scoring 30 goals and 46 points last year.

The Calder Trophy finalist is a bridge between the Blackhawks’ old guard and future ambitions and if he can continue to score at the rate he did during his rookie year, it’s an absolute steal.

Lundqvist signs with Capitals

It’s been one of the worst-kept secrets this week, but King Henrik is off to Washington.

Henrik Lundqvist signed a one-year deal with the Capitals worth $1.5 million. Lundqvist will also receive $3 million from the Rangers as part of the provisions from his Sept. 30 buyout.

Related: Capitals sign Henrik Lundqvist to 1-year deal

At this point, Lundqvist carries more name recognition than actual value but after a season where he posted replacement-level stats across the board, he’s primed for a bounceback season, working in tandem with Ilya Samsonov.

For more on the Lundqvist signing, Yahoo Sports Canada editor Arun Srinivasan has the full breakdown.

Lightning place Tyler Johnson on waivers, re-sign Pat Maroon, Luke Schenn

It’s no secret the Lightning are in salary cap hell and Tyler Johnson was the first casualty for the reigning champions.

Johnson was placed on waivers on Friday and held a cap hit of $5 million for every year through 2023-24.

Tampa Bay is trying to retain top restricted free agents Anthony Cirelli, Mikhail Sergachev and Erik Cernak without losing its superstars, and cutting the one-time All-Star is the first move to necessitate its offseason plan.

It was a busy start to the afternoon, as Tampa Bay reportedly agreed to terms with Pat Maroon and Luke Schenn. Maroon’s deal carries an AAV of $900,000, while Schenn’s one-year deal is worth $800,000.

Jets acquire Stastny from Golden Knights

Vegas is trying to clear cap space and the Winnipeg Jets may have let them off the hook on Friday.

Winnipeg acquired Paul Stastny in exchange for Carl Dahlstrom and a conditional fourth-round pick — the conditions aren’t too laborious, however, as Stastny needs to play just five games with his new club for the provisions to kick in.

Stastny is still a productive player, posting 38 points in 71 games last season and the Jets should be happy about the experience and versatility he brings to the table.

Vegas, however, is reportedly in the mix for Alex Pietrangelo and this trade likely clears space for what could be a paradigm-altering move, with Stastny’s $6.5M AAV salary off the books.

Other transactions:

Sabres sign Matt Irwin to 1-year, $700,000 contract

Bruins reportedly sign Kevan Miller to 1-year worth up to $2 million

Capitals sign Justin Schultz to 2-year, $8 million contract

Coyotes sign John Hayden to 1-year contract

Oilers re-sign Tyler Ennis to 1-year deal worth reported $1 million

Rangers sign Jack Johnson to 1-year deal worth reported $1.15 million

Johnson might have some name recognition, but he’s regressed into one of the NHL’s worst defencemen.

Predators sign Mark Borowiecki to 2-year, $4 million contract

Predators sign Matt Benning to 2-year, $2 million contract

Panthers sign Alexander Wennberg to 1-year, $2.25 million contract

Sabres sign Tobias Rieder to 1-year contract reportedly worth $700,000

Penguins sign Mark Jankowski to 1-year contract

Rangers sign Keith Kinkaid

Oilers sign Anton Forsberg, Alan Quine

Panthers sign Radko Gudas

It’s a clever signing for the Panthers, who get better on the back end and add a strong penalty-killer to their lineup. Gudas can be slotted as a second or third-pair defenseman.

Panthers sign Carter Verhaeghe to 2-year deal reportedly worth $2M

Verhaeghe played sparingly for the Lightning but suited up for eight playoff games during their run to the Cup. He’ll be afforded more playing time after moving across the state.

Canucks agree to 2-year deal with Tyler Motte

Canucks forward Jake Virtanen reportedly files for salary arbitration

Red Wings agree to terms on 1-year deal with Bobby Ryan

Blackhawks sign Malcolm Subban to 2-year deal

Canadiens sign Victor Mete to 1-year, $735K contract

This isn’t going to make headlines, but for this term, it’s an astute move by Marc Bergevin and the Canadiens, who have otherwise had a pretty questionable start to the offseason.

Sabres sign Zemgus Girgensons to 3-year, $6.6M contract

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