Tampa Bay Lightning 7th year center Tyler Johnson(9) scores himself a nice, new 7-year contract extension less than a week after he files for salary arbitration.
After winning the Calder Cup as a rookie in 2011/2012, he would spend the majority of his sophomore season with new affiliate Syracuse Crunch scoring more than a point-per-game during the regular calendar and was consistent once again getting to the Finals in 18 postseason contests.
For his efforts, he was named the AHL Most Valuable Player for 2012/2013.
He also scored his NHL debut and in 14 games was able to put together 3 goals and 3 assists with a +3 rating.
For the last 4 years he has skated exclusively with the big club amassing over 200 points, including his career best output in 2014/2015 of 29 goals and 43 assists.
This output came in the first year a three-year deal he was given as his entry level contract was up.
The small pivot is always able to find his open spots on the ice and is a scorer/playmaking specialist.
As he is set to turn 27-years old imminently, he will very likely continue to mark up the scoring sheet with consistency and just may help bring another Stanley Cup to lower Florida.
Anaheim Ducks‘ signed 9th year defenseman Steve Oleksy(5) to a 2-year deal on the 2nd day of free agency.
It’s the veteran blue liner’s first one-way contract of a pro career that included a 28-game stint and first contract as a rookie in the long defunct IHL 2009/2010 with Port Huron Icehawks.
He signed his first 3-year entry level deal with Washington Capitals near the end of the 2012/2013 season after being originally signed with affiliate Hershey Bears.
Despite playing in 61 games with the big club in his first two years of his term scoring 3 goals and 18 assists with a +16 rating, he was only recalled once in 2015/2016.
As an unrestricted free agent, he decided to see what was out there and inked with Pittsburgh Penguins but stayed for the full campaign with farm club Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he recorded a new career high 17 assists and 19 points in 63 AHL games.
He decided to stay in Pennsylvania for a follow-up and was rewarded with 11 games getting an assist but more importantly continued to stay accountable with a +2.
The 31-year old maybe surprisingly found himself being dealt to Toronto Maple Leafs at the trade deadline and finished out the season that included a new best 11 postseason contests.
His new squad must have looked at his outstanding +87 mark in the minors, when giving him his contract and may even see him as the perfect depth guy to insert into the lineup as necessary.
Chicago Blackhawks‘ 8th year center Tommy Wingels(57) signs a one-year contract for 2017/2018 after being picked up as unrestricted free agent.
He spent the second half of last season with Ottawa Senators scoring 2 goals and 2 assists in 36 NHL games and even appeared in 9 playoff games with no points after a trade from draft team San Jose Sharks, where he spent his first 6 and a half years.
The 6′ 200 lbs. forward had two very impressive offensive campaigns from 2013-2015, which helped set up a neat three year deal for the one-time deep draft selection.
Unfortunately his numbers have tailed off since but the 29-year old may have found the perfect fit in Illinois moving forward.
2nd year defenseman gets his NHL entry level deal but it was Los Angeles Kings that stepped in as Calgary Flames were still on the sidelines watching.
The big Belarus scored an almost crazy, league best for a d-man 21 goals to go along with 11 assists in 54 ECHL games with Adirondack Thunder.
He had another two assists in four playoff games too.
Seemed pretty obvious someone was going to see the talent in this kid and with some grooming could easily be a force at the highest level of hockey.
At still only 20-years old and now signed for the next three years, this project is one to keep an eye on.
Undrafted 8th year Russian-born left wing Sergei Kalinan(15) has decided two seasons in North America is plenty enough and elected to return to the KHL signing for 2017/2018 with SKA St. Petersburg.
The big 6’3″ 201 lbs. forward agreed to a pair of single season deals with New Jersey Devils to come over after 5 seasons with hometown team Avangard Omsk but seemed to come up a bit short scoring 8 goals and 7 assists through 75 NHL games as a rookie.
Unfortunately he didn’t exactly get off to a great start heading into his second campaign scoring only 2 goals and 2 assists in 43 games and found himself traded away to Toronto Maple Leafs for the last leg of his one-way, decently paid contract.
Heading north though they seemed to have no intention of having him skate with the big club and reassigned him to affiliate Toronto Marlies.
He didn’t exactly light the lamp in the minors mirroring the pair of goals and assists in 19 AHL games, then adding only another tally through 11 postseason contests.
The 26-year old seem to lumber in the pair of games we witnessed and may have been suffering from a bit of an injury but definitely didn’t look right.
He definitely has enough size to be an effective power forward if he decides to use it.
Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 8th year veteran left wing Colin Greening(38) had a decent season with affiliate Toronto Marlies scoring 10 goals and 14 assists in 69 AHL games with a +6 rating but for the first time in his career was not recalled.
Maybe a bit odd as after a trade brought him to the club, he played 30 straight games in the big league scoring a tidy 7 goals and 8 assists on a non-playoff squad.
Heading into 2017/2018, the 31-year old was scheduled to once again become an unrestricted free agent but the parent club stepped in immediately to re-up him for another campaign, which seems to have him pegged to assume the captain’s role of the farm team but also could get him closer to 300 NHL games played.
7th year center Linden Vey(15) leaves his last restricted free agency status on the table, signing a one-year deal with Barys Astana of the KHL for 2017/2018.
He played most of last season with Stockton Heat under contract with parent club Calgary Flames and skated only 4 games in the big league without any points.
This came off two years in Vancouver Canucks‘ system, where he played a full calendar appearing in a career high 75 NHL games scoring a new best 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points.
After agreeing to his first one-way contract for 2015/2016, he would once again end up splitting time between the two leagues but came up a bit short on the score sheet resulting in him being unqualified to continue in British Columbia.
The 25-year old should do well in Russia, especially that he knows so early where his skates will be hitting the ice.
Undrafted 4th year left wing Mike Collins(13) moves from his team of the past two seasons, Krefeld Pinguine to opponents ERC Ingolstadt for 2017/2018.
He was able to raise his scoring to 16 goals and 18 assists in 52 DEL games, while lowering his plus/minus to a -7 rating but still needs to drop that more for better on-ice accountability.
In his rookie season overseas in DEL2 for EC Kassel Huskies he was the league leading scorer with 81 points (27-54), which definitely helped him make the quick jump up.
After playing four years at Merrimack College averaging just under 30 points a season, he signed a pair of atos, first with local Providence Bruins, then Iowa Wild.
In 10 AHL games, he failed to register a point.
The Boston, MA native won a pair of BCHL Championships with Vernon Vipers prior to heading off to school.
The recently turned 27-year old should continue to excel where he is and if he can continue to add to his totals may seek out an even higher league.
Philadelphia Flyers‘ 6th year center Jordan Weal(40) signs himself a nice 2-year deal to stick where he is.
The small forward found his game through a career high 23 NHL games scoring 8 goals and 4 assists with a +6 rating and looks to step it up to take on a full-time roster spot in 2017/2018.
He’s was a more than a point per game guy when on reassignment with affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms (15-32-47 in 43 AHL games).
Interestingly enough after this contract is up, the one-time Los Angeles Kings‘ pick now 25-year old will be an unrestricted free agent.
Not bad at all.
