It’s hard to determine winners and losers before we see these players on the ice and how they fit with their new teammates, but it’s not too early to pick a favorite move after the first wave of signings.
So, we asked nine NHL.com staffers for their opinions. Here, in alphabetical order, are their selections.
Jack CampbellG, Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers needed to upgrade their goaltending. Campbell’s coming off his best NHL season, with 31 wins and five shutouts in 49 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who had the most wins (54) and points (115) in their history. The 30-year-old has been a beloved teammate every place he’s played and should be a good mentor for Stuart Skinner. The Oilers have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and reached the Western Conference Final season. Campbell should give those elite forwards an increased level of trust in what they have playing behind them. — Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor
[RELATED: 2022 NHL Free Agent Tracker]
Johnny GaudreauColumbus Blue Jackets
“Johnny Hockey” stunned the hockey world and I love it on a couple of levels: One, unrestricted free agency, by definition, means players are free to play where they want for whatever reason. Gaudreau doesn’t have to justify his decision to anyone. If this is what was best for him and his family, good. Two, the NHL salary cap means a small market can net a big fish, even the biggest fish of all. How great is this for the Blue Jackets? They had the cap space when others didn’t, and so in a league with many larger and glitzier markets, they signed the guy who finished second in scoring (115 points) last season. Too often, stars have left Columbus. Now Columbus gets a star who wants to be there, and it could help the franchise take a step forward. — Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist
Claude GirouxOttawa Senators
My choice here is about Giroux’s impact off the ice as much as on it. The image of the Senators being have-nots is starting to change, especially in the past week with the additions of forward Alex DeBrincat and goalie Cam Talbot in trades and then, in the words of general manager Pierre Dorion, “the cherry on top,” Giroux. The 34-year-old forward is still productive, scoring 65 points (21 goals, 44 assists) in 75 games. He will be a great influence on the younger players. Just as important is the impact he’s having on the fan base. Giroux grew up in the Ottawa area and spends his offseason there, so for him to feel the Senators will be competitive enough for him to come home sends a great message to both the city and other free agents who might think of coming. In the end, the Giroux signing is a win-win proposition on so many fronts. — Mike Zeisberger, staff writer
My first reaction to the signing was, “Huh?” But it all makes sense. Much like Gaudreau wanted to be close to his home on the East Coast, Giroux chose to be close to his Hearst, Ontario, home. He isn’t taking Ottawa’s money and marking time until retirement. He’s going to an improved Senators team that added DeBrincat and Talbot. They acquired a tenacious two-way forward with a winning pedigree Mathieu Joseph from the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 20, 2022. Now add Giroux, an elder statesman who still has plenty to give. He’ll help show Tim Stutzle and the Senators’ young core how to be winners on and off the ice. — William Douglas, staff writer.
Darcy KuemperWashington Capitals
After waiting in vain for Ilya Samsonov or Vitek Vanecek to grab the job the past two seasons, the Capitals wanted an established No. 1 goalie and landed the best one on the unrestricted free agent market. Washington also gets a Stanley Cup winner after Kuemper helped the Colorado Avalanche win last season for the first time since 2001. The 32-year-old proved he could handle a heavy workload last season when he started an NHL career-high 57 games and tied for fourth in the League in wins (37-12-4), was fifth among goalies to play at least 25 games with a .922 save percentage, 11th with a 2.54 goals-against average and tied for fourth in shutouts with five. It will be Kuemper’s crease for the bulk of the games this season, and the Capitals hope that stability will pay off in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, where they haven’t won a series since winning the Stanley Cup with Braden Holtby as their no. 1 in 2018. — Tom Gulitti, staff writer
Valery NichushkinColorado Avalanche
No one impressed me more during the Stanley Cup Final than Nichushkin. The big forward (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) — described as a horse, a train, and a truck by various teammates — was as important as almost anyone in bringing the Cup to Colorado. So it was imperative that the Avalanche re-sign the pending unrestricted free agent, which they did to the tune of an eight-year contract Monday. The 27-year-old should be a big part of the future for a team that could be a Cup contender for years to come. He touches all facets of the game and is coming off a season when he set NHL career highs in points (52), goals (25) and assists (27) before getting 15 points (nine goals, six assists) in 20 playoff games. — Amalie Benjamin, staff writer
Ondrej PalatNew Jersey Devils
The Devils were in on Gaudreau but couldn’t pull him away from the Blue Jackets. Palat is a terrific second option on the wing for New Jersey. He brings a wealth of experience, two Stanley Cup championship rings, and a bucketload of clutch goals, including 48 goals in the playoffs, 12 game-winners. Centers Jack Hughes and/or Nico Hischier are going to love playing with Palat. Ask around the Lightning dressing room and you’ll find that every high-end player, be it Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos or Brayden Point, wants Palat on his line. Palat checks, grinds in the corner, goes to the front of the net and can score. He’s a lunch-pail player who plays well with the NHL elite. Most importantly, Palat will show the young Devils forwards what it takes to win. — Dan Rosen, senior writer
Vincent TrocheckNew York Rangers
The Rangers made big strides last season, becoming a grittier, harder team to play against. But when it came to playing the Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final, they could not win puck battles, could not get to the net and could not physically keep up with the then two-time defending Cup champions. By adding Trocheck from the Carolina Hurricanes, the Rangers made improvements in each of those areas. Trocheck had 185 hits last season. Other than Ryan Reaves (279), no Rangers forward had more than 153 (Dryden Hunt). Trocheck, who said he was looking forward to playing on a line with Artemi Panarin, will bring more grit, sandpaper — use whatever word you want — to New York. The Rangers are in win-now mode, and Trocheck gives them a much better chance to do that. — Bill Price, Vice President and Editor in Chief
Andrew CoppDetroit Red Wings
A forward coming off a season when he set NHL career highs across the board, and he signs with his hometown team? Yes, please. The Red Wings needed to get stronger at center and they did so with the 28-year-old Copp, who had NHL bests in goals (21), assists (32) and points (53) in 72 regular-season games last season. the Rangers and Winnipeg Jets. Eighteen of those points (eight goals, 10 assists) came in the 16 regular-season games he played for New York after it acquired him in a trade on March 21. He also had 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 20 playoff games. Copp is hitting the prime of his career as Detroit seems to be ready to take the next step in its rebuild. Should be a good fit. — Tracey Myers, staff writer
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