The first day of NHL free agency was quite eventful. In total, 78 new contracts were signed (as of this writing), highlighted by Torey Krug to the Blues (7yr/$6.5M AAV), Henrik Lundqvist to the Capitals (1yr/$1.5M AAV), and Jacob Markstrom, who signed a six-year, $36-million contract with the Calgary Flames. In addition, we saw goalie Anton Khudobin re-up with the Western Conference champion Dallas Stars for three more years, Matt Murray sign a new contract with the Senators, and Paul Stastny was traded back to Winnipeg early Friday morning.
With that said, the biggest fish in the free-agent market still are available for the taking. Here are the notable players left on the market as we enter the second day of free agency:
Alex Pietrangelo
With the signing of Torey Krug and their limited cap space, it seems almost impossible to think that the Blues captain, Alex Pietrangelo, will return to St. Louis. The 30-year-old defenseman had 52 points (16G, 36A) in 70 games last season for the then-defending Stanley Cup Champions.
Taylor Hall
The prized forward of the free agent market, Taylor Hall has reportedly been garnering interest from several teams. Hall spent time with both the Devils and the Coyotes last season and tallied 16 goals and 36 assists in 65 games. The former first overall pick of the Edmonton Oilers had his best season in 2017-18 with the Devils when he had a career-high in goals (39) and assists (54), his second year with the team, and won the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player.
25 teams called to check in on Taylor Hall!!! #NHLFreeAgency | #NHLTonight pic.twitter.com/oUUPusJuWE
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) October 9, 2020
Tyson Barrie
Tyson Barrie’s first season with the Maple Leafs didn’t quite match the production of his final two seasons with the Avalanche. However, he has tallied at least 30 points in each season since the 2013-14 campaign and at just 30-years-old has plenty left in the tank for a team in need of a top-four defenseman.
Tyler Toffoli
Tyler Toffoli played just 10 games with the Vancouver Canucks before the league shut down but still managed to tally 10 points in that time. This follows a 7+ year career, all spent with the Kings, that saw him hoist the Cup in 2014 and record a 31-goal season in 2015-16.
Evgeni Dadonov
Drafted in 2007, Evgeni Dadonov’s first stint with the Panthers over a decade saw him record 20 over parts of the three separate seasons before he spent several years in the KHL. However, upon returning from the KHL for the 2017-18 season, Dadonov notched back-to-back 28-goal seasons with 135 combined points. He had 25 goals in 69 games this year for the Panthers and saw his first NHL playoff action.
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