Carolina Hurricanes’ Jake Guentzel Signs with Tampa Bay LightningCarolina Hurricanes’ Jake Guentzel Signs with Tampa Bay Lightning As NHL free agency opened on July 1, 2024, the Atlantic Division teams wasted no time in making moves. The Tampa Bay Lightning secured the rights of prized winger Jake Guentzel, while the Nashville Predators inked several high-profile players, totaling over $1 billion in contracts handed out on the day. Guentzel’s Move to Tampa The Lightning acquired Guentzel’s rights from the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, after clearing cap space by trading Mikael Sergachev and Tanner Jeannot. Guentzel then signed a seven-year, $63 million deal with Tampa Bay. “The winning culture and high-end players made it really intriguing,” said Guentzel about his decision to join the Lightning. Nashville Predators’ Big Splashes The Predators emerged as the biggest spenders on Monday, signing former Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, winger Jonathan Marchessault, and defenseman Brady Skjei to long-term contracts. They also re-signed goaltender Juuse Saros to an eight-year extension. Other Notable Signings The Toronto Maple Leafs re-signed defenseman Chris Tanev, while the Florida Panthers extended goaltender Sam Reinhart. The Vancouver Canucks added Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen, and the Seattle Kraken acquired Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson. Atlantic Division Shakeup The Boston Bruins added Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov, while the Montreal Canadiens signed Juraj Slafkovsky to an eight-year extension. The Calgary Flames extended Yegor Sharangovich and signed Anthony Mantha and Ryan Lomberg. Trades and Other Moves The Ottawa Senators traded Jakob Chychrun to the Washington Capitals for Nick Jensen. David Perron signed with the Senators, and Viktor Arvidsson joined the Edmonton Oilers. The Capitals also signed Matt Roy, and the Carolina Hurricanes extended Jaccob Slavin. Cautious Optimism While teams celebrated their signings, some executives expressed caution. Calgary’s Craig Conroy noted that some moves may ultimately be regretted due to the large sums spent. “There’s a lot of money spent,” said Conroy. “(July 1) can really make it positive or it can really hurt.”
By Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press on July 1, 2024.
Jake Guentzel (59) of the Carolina Hurricanes skates against the New York Islanders during the third period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, April 22, 2024. The Atlantic Division got to work before the opening bell of NHL free agency. The Tampa Bay Lightning signed prized winger Jake Guentzel to a seven-year, $63 million contract on Monday, about three hours before expiring players hit the market at noon ET. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Karl B DeBlaker
The Atlantic Division went to work on NHL free agency, with the Nashville Predators making the biggest splash when the opening bell sounded as teams handed out more than $1 billion in contracts on Monday. The Tampa Bay Lightning signed prized winger Jake Guentzel to a seven-year, $63 million contract — roughly three hours before expiring players hit the market at noon ET — after acquiring his rights over the weekend. The Toronto Maple Leafs, meanwhile, re-signed Chris Tanev to a six-year, $27 million contract that will keep the defenseman in his hometown. Those deals framed the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers announcing that 57-year goaltender Sam Reinhart had signed an eight-year extension worth a reported $69 million. The salary cap rises to $88 million next season — $4.5 million more than in 2023-24 and the first significant increase since the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the league’s finances. “A lot of money,” Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said of the overall market. “It’s a competitive league, people are trying to improve. You hear it all the time: ‘The cap is going up.’ I’ve heard it from a lot of agents.” “July 1st is an interesting day,” added Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin. “But it’s also a scary day “¦ some of the deals may have surprised me a little bit.” The Predators made three major additions. Nashville signed former Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, who is leaving Tampa after 16 seasons, to a four-year, $32 million contract, winger Jonathan Marchessault to a five-year, $27.5 million contract and defenceman Brady Skjei to a seven-year, $49 million contract. The Predators also re-signed goaltender Juuse Saros to an eight-year, $61.92 million contract that begins in 2025-26. The Canucks signed winger Jake DeBrusk to a seven-year, $38.5 million contract and forward Danton Heinen to a two-year, $4.5 million contract. The Seattle Kraken acquired defenceman Brandon Montour to a seven-year, $49.98 million contract and centre Chandler Stephenson to a seven-year, $43.75 million contract. The Bruins —Not wanting to be outdone by the Lightning, Panthers and Leafs in the Atlantic — added center Elias Lindholm to a deal reportedly worth $54.25 million over seven seasons. Boston also added defenseman Nikita Zadorov, reportedly to a six-year, $30 million contract. The Montreal Canadiens looked to the future by signing winger Juraj Slafkovsky to an eight-year, $60.8 million contract extension starting in 2025-26. The Blue Jackets landed center Sean Monahan to a five-year, $27.5 million contract. The Flames extended winger Yegor Sharangovich to a five-year, $28.75 million contract starting in 2025-26. They also signed two forwards — Anthony Mantha to a one-year, $3.5 million contract and Ryan Lomberg to a two-year, $4 million contract. “Every team is in a different situation, what they’re going for,” Calgary GM Craig Conroy said. “Some teams just say, ‘We’re going to go all out now and go for it.’ “In their situations, it probably made sense.” The Ottawa Senators, meanwhile, traded Jakob Chychrun, who is entering the final year of his current contract, to the Washington Capitals for fellow defenseman Nick Jensen. The Senators also signed David Perron to a two-year deal worth a reported $8 million, while the Edmonton Oilers gave the same dollars and term to fellow winger Viktor Arvidsson. The Capitals signed defenseman Matt Roy to a six-year, $34.5 million contract and the Carolina Hurricanes gave defenseman Jaccob Slavin an eight-year, $51.69 extension that begins in 2025-26. The New Jersey Devils added Brett Pesce to their back end with a six-year, $33 million contract. The Chicago Blackhawks signed wingers Teuvo Teravainen (three years, $16 million), Tyler Bertuzzi (four years, $22 million) and Pat Maroon (one year, $1.3 million). The LightningTreliving, Inc. acquired Guentzel’s rights to a 2025 third-round pick from Carolina on Sunday after freeing up more than $11 million in cap space when they traded defenceman Mikael Sergachev and winger Tanner Jeannot. “The winning culture,” Guentzel said when asked what attracted him to Tampa. “A lot of high-end players that made it really intriguing.” Similar to the weekend move for Guentzel, the Leafs jumped to negotiate with Tanev when they completed a small trade with the Dallas Stars for his rights Saturday before the floodgates opened at noon on Canada Day. Toronto also signed defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to a four-year, $4.75 million-per-season contract. “You try to build the foundation of your roster through the draft, through trades,” Treliving said. “And then when you get to free agency, it’s an opportunity to fill out your roster and fill in certain spots. “There were some really good players available. You saw teams being aggressive.” Conroy cautioned, however, that some of the moves will ultimately be looked upon with regret. “There’s a lot of money spent,” he said. “(July 1) can really make it positive or it can really hurt. “There’s always a catch.” — With files from Gemma Karstens-Smith in Vancouver and Donna Spencer in Calgary. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2024. ___ Follow @JClipperton_CP on X. 38
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