NHL Free Agency Signings

Vancouver - The Canucks signed veteran Ryan Miller to a three-year contract Tuesday reportedly worth $18 million, according to multiple sources. A little more than one year removed from having Cory Schneider and Roberto Luongo as their goaltending tandem, the Canucks went into the free-agent signing period with promising but unproven Swedes Eddie Lack and Jacob Markstrom. They quickly targeted Miller, the premier goalie on the open market, bringing him into Vancouver over the weekend and signing him early in free agency Tuesday. Miller, who turns 34 July 17, brings needed experience to the Canucks crease. The Michigan native spent his first 12 seasons in the Buffalo Sabres organization before being traded to the St. Louis Blues on March 1. But there are questions about his level and style of play after struggling with the Blues in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Miller won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender in 2010, the same year he helped the United States to a silver medal and was named tournament MVP at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. He had a .929 save percentage in his Vezina-winning season but has a .916 save percentage in the four seasons since. Part of that decline likely involved playing behind a struggling Sabres team, but Miller got off to a great start last season, earning a spot on the U.S. team at the 2014 Sochi Olympics while putting up a .923 save percentage. He was billed as the missing piece to the St. Louis Stanley Cup puzzle after being acquired by the Blues, but after a strong start Miller struggled. He finished with a .903 save percentage in 19 regular-season games and dropped to .897 while being knocked out of the playoffs in six games by the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference First Round. Despite the drop, Miller has remained consistently above the NHL average save percentage over the past four seasons. He made $6.25 million per season in his expiring five-year contract but was facing a free-agent market with few teams looking for a clear-cut No. 1. Some wonder if the Canucks should have been in that mix after Lack got off to a great start in his first full NHL season. He had a .925 save percentage when the Canucks shocked many by starting him ahead of Luongo at the 2014 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic, a decision Luongo later said led to his trade to the Florida Panthers three days later for a package that included Markstrom. But Lack wilted at times while playing a Canucks rookie record 20 straight games, finishing the season with a .912 save percentage and seven wins in his 16 starts after Luongo was traded. Limiting Lack's starts by bringing in Miller should allow Vancouver goaltending coach Roland Melanson to continue to work with the 26-year-old Swede between starts, development time that was missing late last season. The fit between Melanson, who likes his goalies to play a contained, patient game, and a more aggressive Miller is less clear. Miller is an aggressive goaltender, playing at or beyond the top edge of his crease and frequently challenging shooters with poke checks. Markstrom, a 24-year-old who was picked 31st by Florida in the 2008 NHL Draft, will make $1.4 million on a one-way contract next season and would have to clear waivers before being sent to the American Hockey League. The Canucks cleared salary-cap space at the 2014 NHL Draft over the weekend by trading center Ryan Kesler to the Anaheim Sucks and defenseman Jason Garrison to the Tampa Bay Lightning.


Minnesota - The Wild signed forward Thomas Vanek to a three-year contract on Tuesday. The contract is reportedly worth $19.5 million, giving Vanek a $6.5 million annual salary-cap charge. Vanek played collegiately at the University of Minnesota and his wife is from Minnesota. The Vanek family had been making the state their offseason home, but now they will be living there full-time. Vanek, 30, is taking a pay cut from his previous contract. He was making $7.1 million per season on a seven-year contract he originally signed with the Buffalo Sabres. He was reportedly offered a seven-year, $50 million contract from the New York Islanders during the season, but turned it down because he wanted to test free agency. Vanek comes to the Wild after a disappointing run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Montreal Canadiens. He had five goals and 10 points in 17 games and was demoted to the fourth line in the Eastern Conference Final. However, Vanek had 68 points in 78 games with the Sabres, Islanders and Canadiens last season. He was at his best with the Islanders, when he had 44 points in 47 games playing primarily with center John Tavares and right wing Kyle Okposo. The Islanders wanted to keep them together, but once Vanek turned down their contract offer they felt they had to trade him. They traded him to the Canadiens on March 5 for forward Sebastien Collberg and a second-round draft pick. The Islanders acquired Vanek from the Sabres on Oct. 27 for forward Matt Moulson, a first-round pick in 2014 and a second-round pick in 2015. Vanek should take Moulson's vacated spot in the Wild's top six. Moulson signed a five-year contract with the Sabres on Tuesday. Vanek has 277 goals and 556 points in 663 career regular-season games. He has 30 points in 53 career playoff games.


St Louis - The Blues signed center Paul Stastny to a four-year contract Tuesday. The contract is reportedly worth $28 million, giving Stastny a $7 million salary-cap charge. Stastny, the son of Peter Stastny, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, is from St. Louis. Stastny has played eight seasons in the NHL totaling 538 games, all with the Colorado Avalanche. He had 60 points, including 25 goals, in 71 games last season. He has 458 points in his career, including 18 points in 22 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Stastny had five goals and five assists for 10 points in seven playoff games last season playing with Calder Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon and Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog. The Blues now have David Backes and Stastny as their top-two centers as they try to compete in the Western Conference, which has several contenders loaded with elite center depth. The Dallas Stars acquired Jason Spezza on Tuesday, giving them Tyler Seguin and Spezza as their top-two centers. The Los Angeles Kings have Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter and the Anaheim Sucks have Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler. The San Jose Sharks currently have Joe Thornton and Logan Couture as well as Joe Pavelski. The Avalanche had Matt Duchene and Stastny, but could move MacKinnon to center, his more natural position, with Stastny's departure to St. Louis. Stastny, though, said a selling point to him was the Blues' defense corps, featuring Alex Pietrangelo, Jay Bouwmeester, Kevin Shattenkirk, Carl Gunnarsson, Barret Jackman and Jordan Leopold. Stastny has a history of playing with some of his new teammates in international competition. He most recently was on the 2014 U.S. Olympic team with Shattenkirk, Backes and forward T.J. Oshie.


Colorado - Jarome Iginla is heading back to the Western Conference, this time to play for the Colorado Avalanche on a three-year contract worth $16 million, according to multiple media reports. Iginla scored 30 goals and had 61 points last season when he was on a one-year contract with the Boston Bruins. Iginla and the Bruins were hopeful of continuing the relationship, but Boston was unable to meet his contract demands because of its salary-cap constraints. The Bruins have approximately $1.64 million in salary-cap space, according to CapGeek.com. Iginla played the first 16-plus seasons of his NHL career in the Western Conference with the Calgary Flames before he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins late in the 2012-13 season. Colorado wasn't able to re-sign center Paul Stastny, who signed a four-year contract with the St. Louis Blues. It's possible that Calder Trophy-winner Nathan MacKinnon moves from wing to center to take over Stastny's spot and Iginla fills the top-six role MacKinnon occupied. Iginla has 560 goals and 1,167 points in 1,310 games. He has scored 30 or more goals in 12 straight full NHL seasons. He had a combined 14 goals with the Flames and Penguins in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. The Avalanche also announced today that they have acquired defenseman Brad Stuart from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a second-round selection in the 2016 NHL Draft and a sixth-round choice in the 2017 NHL Draft.


NY Rangers - The New York Rangers have signed defenseman Dan Boyle. Terms were not revealed, but the contract is reportedly for two years and worth $9 million, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post. The Rangers also re-signed forward Dominic Moore and signed forwards Tanner Glass and Chris Mueller, and defenseman Michael Kostka. Financial terms of the contracts were not released, but Newsday reported Moore signed a two-year, $3 million contract while Glass agreed to a three-year, $4.35 million according to the Post. The team announced Kostka signed for one year. Boyle spent the past six seasons with the San Jose Sharks, who traded his negotiating rights to the New York Islanders on June 5. The veteran turns 38 on July 12. He scored 12 goals and 36 points in 75 games with the Sharks last season, and in 954 games with the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Sharks he has 144 goals and 561 points. He won a gold medal with Canada at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and the Stanley Cup in 2004 as a member of the Lightning. Moore, 33, returned last season after a one-year sabbatical from hockey and had 18 points in 73 regular-season games and three goals and eight points in 25 Stanley Cup Playoff games to help the Rangers reach the Stanley Cup Final. He won the Masterton Trophy this season for perseverance and dedication to the game. Glass, 30, had 13 points in 67 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, and did not have a point in eight playoff games. In seven seasons with the Florida Panthers, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets and Penguins, Glass has 18 goals, 54 points and 458 penalty minutes in 377 games. Kostka, 28, had four goals and 11 points in 28 games with the Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning last season. He also had two assists in three playoff games with the Lightning. In parts of two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Blackhawks and Lightning, Kostka has four goals and 19 points in 63 games. Mueller, 28, played in nine games with the Dallas Stars in 2013-14 and four playoff games. He spent most of the season with the team's American Hockey League affiliate, the Texas Stars, where he had 25 goals and 57 points. He also had 11 points in 19 AHL playoff games to help Texas win the Calder Cup.


Calgary - Goaltender Jonas Hiller has signed a two-year contract with the Flames. Financial terms were not released but media reports indicate it's worth $9 million.


Washington - The Crapitals have signed free-agent defenseman Brooks Orpik to a five-year, $27.5 million contract.


Edmonton - The Oilers made an early splash in free agency on Tuesday by signing forward Benoit Pouliot and defenseman Mark Fayne to multiyear contracts. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the Oilers announced that Pouliot was signed to a five-year contract and Fayne to a four-year contract. Pouliot had 15 goals and 36 points in 80 games for the New York Rangers in 2013-14. Fayne had four goals and 11 points in 72 games for the New Jersey Devils last season.


New Jersey - New Jersey have signed forward Mike Cammalleri to a five-year, $25 million contract.


Montreal - The Canadiens traded defenseman Josh Gorges to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday for a second-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. The pick was previously acquired from the Minnesota Wild. They also wasted no time filling the hole left by the trade of center Daniel Briere one day prior by signing center Manny Malhotra to a one-year contract reportedly worth $850,000 on Tuesday.


Tampa Bay - Defenseman Anton Stralman on Tuesday signed a five-year contract with the Lightning. Financial terms were not released, but multiple media reports placed the total value at $22.5 million, an average annual value of $4.5 million.


Buffalo - The Sabres today announced the signing of forward Matt Moulson to a multi-year contract.