July 1 was filled with fireworks in the NHL as the free agent market opened, and teams around the league went on a shopping spree.
Over 100 players changed teams and over $1 billion was spent in the first 12 hours. Plus, a few trades were thrown in for good measure.
In a real fireworks display, explosions appeal to different people. Some are attracted to loud, bright, noisy explosions, others prefer more subtle, less flashy explosions.
It was the same thing Monday for NHL fans.
Each major movement has attracted attention in its own way, but each has been received differently.
We asked ten NHL.com staffers to give us their favorite personnel move from Monday. Here are their responses, in alphabetical order:
Chychrun’s acquisition came via a trade with the Ottawa Senators (for defenseman Nick Jensen and a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft) and not a free-agent signing, but the 26-year-old is exactly what the Capitals needed. Washington wanted to add an offensive element to its defence after finishing 31st in the NHL last season in defenseman goals with 20, ahead of only the Chicago Blackhawks (19), and 30th in the League with 134 defenseman points. John Carlson accounted for 10 of those goals and a team-high 52 points. No other Capitals defenseman scored more than three goals, and Rasmus Sandin (23) was the only other defenseman with more than 20 points. Chychrun tied his NHL career high with 41 points (14 goals, 27 assists) last season, including seven power-play goals, and his skating and passing will help transition from defense to offense. — Tom Gulitti, Editor-in-Chief
When you have a team that was one win away from the Western Conference final last season and you add a 20-goal scorer with guts, that’s a big change to me. DeBrusk wanted a fresh start after seven seasons with the Bruins and gets one in Vancouver with a seven-year, $5.5 million-per-year deal. That could prove to be a steal, as DeBrusk has plenty of opportunities to grow playing with new teammates in forwards JT Miller, Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser, and defenseman Quinn Hughes. The 27-year-old doesn’t have to worry about where he’ll play for a while and can focus on hockey. He had 40 points last season and led the Bruins — a team with David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand — in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 11 points. — David Satriano, Editor-in-Chief
The Devils sorely lacked an authoritative defensive presence last season, as evidenced by the team allowing 3.43 goals per game, tied for 26th in the league, and having the seventh-fewest hits and fourth-fewest blocked shots. The addition of defenseman Brett Pesce was huge, but for me, Dillon will be the defenseman who challenges opponents to test his mettle in the corners or in front of goalies Jacob Markstrom or Jake Allen. Dillon should evoke memories of the Devils’ past when players like Scott Stevens and Ken Daneyko patrolled the ice and defended not only their zone, but their teammates whenever necessary. Since joining the league in 2011-12, Dillon ranks 11th among all players in hits (2,174) in 892 games. — Mike G. Morreale, lead draft editor
To me, the 29-year-old center will be a perfect fit for Boston. Is it Patrice Bergeron? Of course not, but Lindholm is an extremely solid two-way center who scored 42 goals for the Calgary Flames in 2021-22 and is very reliable in his own end of the ice. He should take some of the defensive responsibilities off Charlie Coyle and will be a nuisance to the abundance of top-tier talent in the Atlantic Division. Lindholm had 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 13 playoff games for the Vancouver Canucks last season, proving he can be counted on in big moments. — Brian Compton, Editor-in-Chief
Steven Stamkos, who joined the Predators from the Tampa Bay Lightning, was the loudest explosion Monday. But Marchessault’s arrival from the Vegas Golden Knights might be the sweetest. There’s no such thing as Marchessault with a grudge against the clock. In 2016-17, Marchessault burst onto the scene with the Florida Panthers but was left unprotected in the expansion draft and claimed by the Golden Knights. He embraced the “Golden Misfits” vibe that the scrappy team exuded. He recorded a career-high 75 points (27 goals, 48 assists) in 2017-18 and helped the Golden Knights reach the Stanley Cup Final against the odds in that first season. In 2022-23, he helped the Golden Knights win their first Cup, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP with 25 points (13 goals, 12 assists). Now he feels left out again. The rest of the NHL better watch out as his latest revenge tour unfolds on Broadway. — Shawn P. Roarke, Senior Editorial Director
The Kraken needed a top-tier defenseman. They found it in Montour, who signed a seven-year, $50 million ($7.14 million per year) contract. Montour has Stanley Cup Playoff pedigree, having played in the Stanley Cup Final in back-to-back seasons and winning the Stanley Cup with the Panthers in June. The 30-year-old had 33 points (eight goals, 25 assists) in 66 regular-season games last season; Montour didn’t play until November after undergoing shoulder surgery in the summer of 2023. But he had a career season in 2022-23, when he had 73 points (16 goals, 57 assists) in 80 games, and was key in this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, when he had 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 24 games. Montour should be an ideal fit for Seattle, which is looking to return to the playoffs after missing last year. — Tracey Myers, Editor
The Oilers could be the big beneficiaries of the Buffalo Sabres’ decision to part ways with Skinner and buy out the final three seasons of the forward’s eight-year, $72 million contract ($9 million AAV) on June 30. Skinner signed a one-year, $3 million contract with Edmonton on Monday, adding another talented forward to an already incredibly talented team led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Skinner is entering his 15th NHL season and has yet to play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, so he will be extremely motivated by the Oilers, who reached Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season. Skinner scored 30-plus goals six times and had a career-high 82 points (35 goals, 47 assists) in 79 games with Buffalo two seasons ago. If Skinner can catch passes from McDavid or Draisaitl while playing in a top-six role, he could have a massive offensive season for a third of the price Buffalo paid him for 46 points (24 goals, 22 assists) in 74 games last season. — Derek Van Diest, editor
Since officially taking over as general manager in Nashville last year, Barry Trotz has vowed to add some excitement to the franchise. He wanted to make a splash. While his roster is solid, he wanted to add some glitz and fun to his team in a city known for it. Mission accomplished. The Predators handed out $111.5 million to four players — forwards Stamkos and Marchessault, defenseman Brady Skjei and goalie Scott Wedgewood — in free agency on Monday, and there was no bigger addition than the former Tampa Bay Lightning captain. It’s not just about what Stamkos, who signed a four-year, $32 million contract, produces on the ice. He’s a future Hall of Famer. Put his name on the marquee outside Bridgestone Arena and, with apologies to Roman Josi, Juuse Saros and Filip Forsberg, you’ll have instant attraction. Oh, did I mention he’s a member of two Stanley Cup-winning teams, has scored 555 career goals, is one of the sport’s greatest leaders and one of the game’s most eloquent ambassadors? At 34, he’s coming off a 40-goal season. Forget that Trotz was a sensation; this was more like hockey’s version of a tsunami. Well done. — Mike Zeisberger, Editor
The contract is too long. Six years for a 34-year-old? Not ideal. But I’m not interested in the second half of the contract. That’s going to be problematic. The first half is what matters to a team that wants to win now and has a coach that wants to win now in Craig Berube. Tanev is pushing them in that direction and at $4.5 million per season, he should be exactly what they need for exactly what they need him for at least three seasons. He brings physicality, grit, a strong defensive presence and a streak of nastiness that is much needed in this Maple Leafs lineup, not to mention an elite ability to make the first pass out of the zone to get the offense going. Tanev isn’t going to be the complete answer in Toronto. That still has to come from the core. But Tanev will be a big piece; he’ll play a huge role. If the Maple Leafs can get by in the first three years of his contract, dare we say win the Stanley Cup, the second half of the deal won’t matter as much. If they can’t, Berube, general manager Brad Treliving and president Brendan Shanahan won’t have to worry about the last three years of the contract because they won’t be in Toronto to see it. — Dan Rosen, Senior Editor
Yes, there were bigger signings on Monday (see the Predators), but this one is my favorite. San Jose isn’t just rebuilding, it’s rebuilding around forward Macklin Celebrini, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Like the Chicago Blackhawks did last year by surrounding Connor Bedard, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, with veteran players, the Sharks did the same here by signing Toffoli to a four-year deal. He won’t just be there to help Celebrini get acclimated to the NHL, he’ll be there when he starts to shine. Toffoli is not only a 12-year NHL veteran with a Stanley Cup championship under his belt, he is no stranger to the Pacific Division, having played eight seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, 10 games with the Vancouver Canucks in 2019-20 and parts of two seasons with the Calgary Flames. Even if Celebrini decides to play one more year at Boston University, he will benefit from three seasons of tutelage under Toffoli. — Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief