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Claude Giroux is ready to return home in Ottawa, and the Edmonton Oilers began to address their targeting needs by signing a Jack Campbell agreement when the NHL free agency period opened on Wednesday.
Giroux, who hails from northern Ontario and played his junior hockey across the river from Ottawa in Gatineau, Québec, has signed a $ 19.5 million three – year contract with senators, according to someone familiar with the move. The man spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement was not announced.
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Florida Panthers right wing Claude Giroux controls the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings, Sunday, April 17, 2022, in Detroit. Giroux has signed a $ 19.5 million three – year contract with the Ottawa Senators, according to someone familiar with the move. The man spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Wednesday, July 13, 2022, because the agreement was not announced.
(Photo AP / Carlos Osorio, File)
The Oilers have announced that Campbell has signed a five – year, $ 25 million contract with Edmonton.
And another high-profile goalkeeper and Stanley Cup-winning Darcy Kuemper, signed with the Washington Capitals, have a new home of a $ 26.25 million five-year contract.
The 34-year-old Giroux offers a veteran and leadership presence to a mix of Ottawa youth. He spent his first 14-plus season in Philadelphia, where he captained Flyers, before trading to Florida in March.
“I wouldn’t have stretched here if I didn’t think we had a chance to win the Cup,” Giroux told TSN Canada. “I’m not saying we’re going to win the Cup this year, but the plan is to build on it and have baby steps for that.”
Giroux has scored 20 points nine times, and finished second in the NHL scoring race with 102 points in 2017-18.
NHL FREE AGENCY: Devils TRADE PAVEL ZACHA TO BRUINS
Toronto Maple Leafs goalkeeper Jack Campbell (36) turns to the crowd after becoming the first star after a stopping performance in a 5-0 win over Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of the replay series of the first round of Stanley Cup hockey, Monday . , May 2, 2022 in Toronto. The Edmonton Oilers agreed terms with Jack Campbell, a person familiar with the transfer spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Wednesday, July 13, 2022, because the agreement was not announced.
(Frank Gunn / The Canadian Press via AP, File)
Campbell leaves Toronto Maple Leafs for Edmonton, where he is projected to compete for the Oilers’ starting position after veteran Mike Smith’s playoff discrepancies led the Oilers to a 22-13 outscore when swept by Colorado in Western Conference finals. Campbell enters a season in which he had career highlights in victories with a 31-9-6 record, five shutouts and 47 starters.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are losing Ondrej Palat, but they face a familiar return. They signed winger Vladislav Namestnikov with a one-year contract. Namestnikov was with the Lightning when they reached the 2015 Stanley Cup Final.
Someone familiar with the transfer tells the AP the Anaheim ducks signed forward Frank Vatrano with $ 10.95 million, a three – year deal to hit a $ 3.65 million cap. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement was not announced.
The Chicago Blackhawks followed what was an offseason purge at the end players began signing forward Andreas Athanasiou and Max Domi with one – year, $ 3 million contracts, someone with direct knowledge of the signatures the AP said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the markets are not advertised.
NHL FREE AGENCY: PENGUINS EVGENI MALkin SIGNS FOR FOUR YEAR CONTRACT
Pavel Zacha of the New Jersey Devils is shown during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings in Newark, NJ, on Friday, April 29, 2022. The New Jersey Devils moved on with the Boston Bruins, trade winter Pavel Zacha for Erik Haula’s center in a trade that ended less than an hour before the NHL’s free agency period opened on Wednesday, July 13, 2022.
(AP Photo / Seth Wenig, File)
The signings come at a time when the Blackhawks went into rebuilding mode at the Kirby Dach trading center to Montreal and Alex DeBrincat to Ottawa in separate markets last week. Chicago is also buying out the final year of Brett Connolly and Henrik Borgstrom’s contracts respectively after clearing a waiver.
The Buffalo Sabers added targeted depth to patching experience and reduced injuries last season when Eric Comrie signed a two – year deal. Former Winnipeg Jets defender will be in the mix to compete for playing time with veteran Craig Anderson and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who spent the last year developing in the minors.
Buffalo also locked one of his abusive key players by re – signing Victor Olofsson’s agreement to a $ 9.5 million two – year contract. Olofsson, who will turn 26 next week, was a restrained-free agent and scored 20 goals and 49 career-best points last season.
The Vancouver Canucks former Toronto Maple Leafs starter Ilya Mikheyev has signed a four-year, $ 19 million contract.
Teams were busy before the free agency period began with the New Jersey Devils trading Pavel Zacha’s forward to the Boston Bruins for center Erik Haula. The move balances the Devils and New Jersey in the mix to land Johnny Gaudreau’s forward, one of the top free agency awards after rejecting an offer to re – sign with the Calgary Flames.
NHL FREE AGENCY: EVANDER KANE’S ADMINISTRATORS SIGN TO FOUR YEAR CONTRACT
Boston Bruins (56) Erik Haula (56) moves the puck against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first leg of Game 2 of the replay series of the first round of NHL Stanley Cup hockey in Raleigh, NC, on Wednesday, May 4, 2022. The New Jersey Devils have moved on with the Boston Bruins, trading winger Pavel Zacha for center Erik Haula in a trade that ended less than an hour before the NHL free agency period that opened Wednesday, July 13, 2022.
(AP Photo / Karl B DeBlaker, File)
Haula has nine seasons of NHL experience and joins his fifth team since opening the 2019-20 season with Carolina.
The 31-year-old scored 18 goals and 44 points in 78 games with the Browns last season and adds a veteran presence to the young Devils lineup.
The trade also provides New Jersey with greater cost certainty about the salary limit to go after Gaudreau, who finished second in a 115-point NHL scoring race and is from Salem, New Jersey. Zacha is a restraining agent and is eligible for salary arbitration this season.
The Bruins get a younger re – tooling when 25 – year – old Zacha, selected by Pick No. 6 in the 2015 draft. Zacha has seven seasons of NHL experience and is coming off a season in which he scored 15 goals and finished with 36 career-best points.
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Calgary Flames left wing Johnny Gaudreau (13) carries the puck past Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Ondrej Palat (18) during the third period of an NHL hockey match, January 11, 2018, in Tampa, Fla. expect plenty of movement before free agency opens on Wednesday, July 13, 2022. Some top players including Gaudreau and Palat could sign contracts before they hit the open market.
(AP / Chris O’Meara photo, file)
In addition to Gaudreau, Colorado Cup champions Stanley Nazem Kadri and Darcy Kuemper and Dallas defender John Klingberg have led one of the deepest free agent groups in recent history. And that’s after Evgeni Malkin from Pittsburgh and Evander Kane from Edmonton removed their names from the market by re – signing with their respective teams.
The Sts. Louis Blues defender Nick Leddy is around after receiving him from Detroit at the trade deadline, signing him with a four – year $ 16 million deal.