NHL Free Agency 2024: Winners and Losers - Panthers Sign Reinhart and Kulikov, Golden Knights and Lightning Suffer Losses

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Canada
Florida Panthers signed Sam Reinhart and Dmitry Kulikov in free agency
Tampa Bay Lightning lost Steven Stamkos, signed Jake Guentzel to a more affordable contract
Vegas Golden Knights let Jonathan Marchessault walk, did not sign Brandon Montour to an expensive deal
NHL Free Agency 2024: Winners and Losers - Panthers Sign Reinhart and Kulikov, Golden Knights and Lightning Suffer Losses

The 2024 NHL free agency period got off to a chaotic start on July 1, with several teams making significant moves to improve their rosters. Let's take a look at some of the winners and losers from this wild day in the league.

Winners: Florida Panthers The Panthers had a successful day at the free agency table, signing key players Sam Reinhart and Dmitry Kulikov to long-term contracts. Reinhart was signed to a cost-effective deal with a cap hit of $8.6 million, while Kulikov was retained for the next four seasons at a measured cap hit.

Losers: Vegas Golden Knights, Tampa Bay Lightning Two major teams suffered losses on Day 1 of free agency. The Vegas Golden Knights let Jonathan Marchessault walk and did not take the risk of signing Brandon Montour to an expensive deal. Meanwhile, Steven Stamkos is no longer with the Tampa Bay Lightning, who replaced him with Jake Guentzel on a more affordable contract.

Lessons Learned: Loyalty vs. Improvement One theme that emerged from Day 1 of free agency was the contrast between teams prioritizing loyalty and others making moves to improve, even at the expense of fan favorites and franchise icons.

Impact on Canes: Unrestricted and Restricted Free Agents The Canes have a number of Unrestricted and Restricted Free Agents who can hit the market at Noon on July 13, 2024. Some notable names include Callahan Burke, Tony DeAngelo, Jordan Martinook, Stefan Noesen, Brett Pesce, Antti Raanta, Brady Skjei and Teuvo Teravainen.

Impact on Canes: Jake Guentzel's Situation Jake Guentzel's situation is uncertain after reports of trade negotiations with other teams. The Canes may try to keep him, but his destination is uncertain.

Impact on Canes: Martin Necas RFA Situation Martin Necas was not traded prior to or during the draft and the Canes have the right to match any offer he receives as a Restricted Free Agent. Seth Jarvis is expected to receive a big deal from the Canes long term, and it's possible they may decide to stick together for two more years until he can be an Unrestricted Free Agent.

Impact on Canes: Exploring Options in the Open Market The Canes are exploring options in the open market, including players such as Steven Stamkos, Sam Reinhart, Brandon Montour and Jonathan Marchessault.



Confidence

85%

Doubts
  • It is unclear if the Panthers made any other significant signings besides Reinhart and Kulikov
  • The article does not specify the length of Reinhart's contract in years

Sources

94%

  • Unique Points
    • The Oilers signed Jeff Skinner to a one-year, $3 million deal and Mattias Janmark to a three-year, $4.35 million deal.
    • Sean Walker agreed to a five-year, $18 million deal with the Carolina Hurricanes.
  • Accuracy
    • Alex Wennberg signed a two-year, $10 million deal with the San Jose Sharks.
    • Nils Lundkvist was re-signed by Dallas for one year, $1.25 million.
    • Corey Perry will continue his NHL career with the Oilers on a one-year, $1.4 million deal.
    • Joel Edmundson signed a four-year, $15.4 million deal with the Los Angeles Kings.
    • Calvin de Haan agreed to a one-year, $800,000 deal with the Colorado Avalanche.
    • Anthony Beauvillier signed a one-year, $1.25 million deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
    • Jack Campbell moved on from the Oilers and signed a one-year, $775,000 deal with the Detroit Red Wings.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article contains several statements about contracts signed by NHL players and the analysis of those contracts by ESPN staff. There are no explicit fallacies found in the text provided. However, there is an appeal to authority when ESPN staff analyzes and grades the deals.
    • The Oilers have added a proven scorer, inking Jeff Skinner to a one-year, $3 million deal following his buyout by the Sabres.
    • The Sharks continue to make wise veteran additions to their young roster, inking a two-year, $10 million deal with center Alex Wennberg.
    • Dallas continues its spending spree on veteran defenseman, re-signing Nils Lundkvist for one year, $1.25 million.
    • The Kings have added some size and snarl to their defense corps, inking veteran Joel Edmundson to a four-year, $15.4 million deal.
    • Forward Anthony Beauvillier has been well-traveled the past few seasons, and he’s off to a new team again for 2024-25, inking a one-year, $1.25 million deal with the Penguins.
    • Goaltender Jack Campbell’s massive deal with the Oilers didn’t work out so well, and he has moved on to the Red Wings, agreeing to terms on a one-year, $775,000 deal.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

98%

  • Unique Points
    • Some teams prioritize loyalty while others make moves to improve even at the expense of fan favorites and franchise icons.
    • Jonathan Marchessault is no longer with the Vegas Golden Knights.
    • Steven Stamkos is no longer with the Tampa Bay Lightning and has been replaced by Jake Guentzel.
    • The Lightning cleared cap space at the draft to sign Guentzel, who is younger and possibly better than Stamkos.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The author makes several statements that contain informal fallacies. In the first statement, 'Being heartless is the new market efficiency' is an example of a hasty generalization fallacy. The author is making a broad assumption based on limited evidence. In the second statement, 'After clearing money at the draft, they spent it on Jake Guentzel' contains an appeal to consequences fallacy. The author assumes that because the Lightning were able to replace Stamkos with Guentzel and save money, that this was a good decision. However, there are many factors that go into evaluating a player's worth and the success of a trade or free agent signing cannot be determined solely by their immediate impact.
    • ]The new market efficiency[
    • After clearing money at the draft, they spent it on Jake Guentzel
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

98%

  • Unique Points
    • The NHL has experienced the biggest cap increase in history: $4.5 million per team.
    • , The Canes have a number of Unrestricted and Restricted Free Agents who can hit the market at Noon on July 13, 2023.
    • , Unrestricted Free Agents for the Canes include Callahan Burke, Tony DeAngelo, Jordan Martinook, Stefan Noesen, Brett Pesce, Antti Raanta, Brady Skjei and Teuvo Teravainen.
    • , Restricted Free Agents for the Canes include Dylan Coghlan, Jack Drury and Seth Jarvis.
    • , Jake Guentzel’s situation is uncertain after reports of trade negotiations with other teams and ultimately being traded to Tampa Bay for a 2025 Third Round pick.
    • , Brett Pesce is likely to be signed by the New Jersey Devils, having been underpaid for several seasons.
    • , The Canes may try to keep Brady Skjei after losing Guentzel and other UFAs, but his destination is uncertain.
    • , Martin Necas was not traded prior to or during the draft and the Canes have the right to match any offer he receives as a Restricted Free Agent.
    • , Seth Jarvis is expected to receive a big deal from the Canes long term, and it’s possible they may decide to stick together for two more years until he can be an Unrestricted Free Agent.
    • , The Canes are exploring options in the open market, including players such as Steven Stamkos, Sam Reinhart, Brandon Montour, Jonathan Marchessault and Matt Duchene.
  • Accuracy
    • The Canes may try to keep Brady Skjei after losing Guentzel and other UFAs, but his destination is uncertain.
    • Brett Pesce is likely to be signed by the New Jersey Devils, having been underpaid for several seasons.
    • Steven Stamkos is no longer with the Tampa Bay Lightning and has been replaced by Jake Guentzel.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

99%

  • Unique Points
    • Florida Panthers signed Sam Reinhart to a long-term contract with a cost-effective cap hit of $8.6 million.
    • The Panthers retained Dmitry Kulikov at a measured cap hit for the next four seasons.
    • The team let Oliver Ekman-Larsson walk and did not take the risk of signing Brandon Montour to an expensive deal.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication