NHL free agency live blog

Welcome to NHL free agency. The League year begins Monday, and a flurry of signings is expected, along with some trades. What players will change teams, which ones will stay with their current teams? Follow our live blog all day long for the latest news and reports.

RELATED: [NHL Free Agent Tracker | 2019-20 NHL Trade Tracker | Free agency fantasy roundup]

6 p.m.

The Islanders have made their moves. New York announced it has re-signed forward Anders Lee
to a seven-year contract
. They also signed goalie Semyon Varlamov
to a four-year contract
.
In other goalie news, the Chicago Blackhawks signed Robin Lehner
to a one-year contract with an AAV of $5 million
. Lehner was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy for the Islanders last season.
The Hurricanes also announced a goalie signing around the same time, announcing Petr Mrazek would stay in Carolina
on a two-year contract that will pay him $3 million this season and $3.25 million in 2020-21
.

4:55 p.m.

Though the Islanders haven't announced they have re-signed Anders Lee, he broke the news himself.
Lee posted a clip from "The Wolf of Wall Street," to tell Islanders fans he wasn't leaving.

Again, we don't have the official announcement yet, but it appears he's coming back on a seven-year contract.
Stay tuned for official word.

4:30 p.m.

If anyone is wondering if the Carolina Hurricanes are going to match the offer sheet the Canadiens tendered to Sebastian Aho Monday, the team's social media account has an answer.
Showing they know how to speak a little French, the Hurricanes put out a twitter poll with two different answers, sort of.

The action has slowed down a bit in the past hour or so, but there are some big names out on the market.
Here are few:
Brian Boyle
Derick Brassard
Ryan Dzingel
Jake Gardiner
Marcus Johansson
Anders Lee
Robin Lehner
Petr Mrazek
Joe Thornton
Semyon Varalmov

4 p.m.

We are four hours into free agency and for teams that haven't done anything, it seems like an eternity.
Take the New York Islanders for example. They have been silent today while the Rangers have added Artemi Panarin and the Devils have added Wayne Simmonds. But the Islanders have some things to figure out with goalie Robin Lehner and forward Anders Lee UFAs.
Certainly they are a team to keep an eye on as the day goes on.
As for the Sebastian Aho offer sheet, the Hurricanes are officially on the clock. With Aho signing the offer sheet, Carolina has seven days to match or let him go to Montreal.
Also, the Blues Jackets have officially added Gustav Nyquist, signing the
forward to a four-year contract
.

3:30 p.m.

The offer sheet the Canadiens offered to Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho has added some more intrigue into the day. Though it appears the Hurricanes will match the offer, the door seems to be open to some more offer sheets, particularly concerning Mitchell Marner and the Maple Leafs.
Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, the signing action has picked up with forward Joonas Donskoi leaving the Sharks to sign a four-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche.
The Avalanche also signed Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (two years) and Colin Wilson (one year).

3 p.m.

We have our first offer sheet. The Canadiens announced they have
tendered an offer sheet
to Hurricanes restricted free agent forward Sebastian Aho for five years with an annual average value of $8.454 million. If Aho signs it, the Hurricanes would have seven days to match it.
If he signs in and they don't match it, the Canadiens would get Aho, but would have to send the Hurricanes a first, second and third-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Carolina GM Don Waddell has said he will match any offer sheet Aho signs, so this could all be moot, but it could be a sign there could be some more offer sheet action on the table.
In other news, Matt Duchene to the Predators is official. The forward signed a seven-year contract with an AAV of $8 million.

2:45 p.m.

A few more signings have trickled in the past 30 minutes or so.
Restricted free agent Timo Meier has
signed a four-year contract
to remain with the San Jose Sharks. Financial terms were not released.

Joe Pavelski just had a conference call in Dallas and talked about signing with the Stars.
"It was always the thought of, if we're leaving San Jose, we weren't just going to go to the highest bidder. There were definitely some boxes we wanted checked off. We wanted to feel that the team was close to winning. And playing against the Stars, playing against some of their players, and the season they had, they were a team that checked a lot off a lot of the boxes."

The Lightning have also signed defenseman Luke Schenn to
a one-year contract with an AAV of $700,000
.
Goalie Calvin Pickard signed a two-year contract with the Red Wings.

2:25 p.m.

The Panthers have struck again, signing defenseman Anton Stralman
to a three-year contract
.
That's two big signings for Florida, which also signed goalie Sergei Bobrovsky earlier Monday.
The Lighting just announced they have signed goalie Curtis McIlhenny
to a two-year contract with an AAV of $1.3 million
.
We are still waiting for official word on Matt Duchene and the Predators, but that could be coming soon.
Other things to look for in the next few hours:
-- There is a report that Timo Meier, a RFA, is close to re-signing with the Sharks.
-- It looks like the Blue Jackets are going to sign forward Gustav Nyquist, but nothing official on any of those moves.

2 p.m.

The Devils, who pulled off the trade for P.K. Subban at the 2019 NHL Draft, have made their first free-agent splash,
agreeing to terms on a one-year contract
with forward Wayne Simmonds worth $5 million.

The Golden Knights announced two signings, bringing back forward Brandon Pirri for two more seasons with a contract with an AAV of $775,000, and forward Tomas Nosek on a one-year contract worth $1 million.
Other signings just announced were goalie Mike Smith going to the Oilers on
a one-year contract
and forward Markus Granlund also going to Edmonton on a one-year contract.

1:50 p.m.

We have hit somewhat of a lull since the signings of Artemi Panarin (Rangers), Sergei Bobrovsky (Panthers) and Joe Pavelski (Stars) were announced.
But there is some news.
For all of you wanting to get your Bobrovsky jersey, he will wear No. 72 for the Panthers.
In case you were wondering, Frank Vatrano wore that number for Florida last season and he's already working out a deal.

In other goalie news, the Flames signed Cam Talbot to
a one-year contract with an AAV of $2.75 million
.
As for Pavelski, Sharks GM Doug Wilson put out a statement on why San Jose had to let its captain leave.

1:30 p.m.

Joe Pavelski's run in San Jose is officially over.
The center has joined the Dallas Stars
on a three-year contract with an AAV of $7 million.

Dallas made the announcement about 20 minutes after it
announced the signing
of Corey Perry.

Though it will be interesting to see Pavelski and Perry with the Stars, it will be also be interesting to see what the impact of losing Pavelski will have on Sharks.
Clearly he was beloved by his teammates - see Game 7 of the first round against the Vegas Golden Knights - and the San Jose fans.
We wonder what other changes are in store for the Sharks.
With Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky officially off the board, the wait is on for Matt Duchene, who reportedly will be going to the Nashville Predators.

Another team to watch in the next few hours is the New York Islanders, who saw Panarin go the Rangers.
They still have to decide on a goalie with Robin Lehner a UFA. And what will the Blue Jackets do now that two of their biggest players are gone and Duchene appears to be right behind them out the door.

1:15 p.m.
It's official.
Forward Artemi Panarin is going to the Rangers. Also just announced is goalie Sergei Bobrovsky going to the Florida Panthers on a seven-year contract.
Corey Perry is officially a member of the Dallas Stars, signing a one-year, $1.5 million contract with an additional $1.75 million in performance-based incentives.
With Panarin heading to the Rangers, the are reports the Islanders, who were reportedly going hard after Panarin, looking to bring back Anders Lee.

As for the latest signings to be announced:
Forward Artemi Panarin
agrees to terms with the Rangers
.
Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky
agrees to terms on seven-year contract with the Panthers
.
Forward Corey Perry signs a one-year contract with the Stars for $1.5 million.
Forward Richard Panik signed a four-year contract with the Capitals for $11 million.
Defenseman John Gilmour signed a one-year contract with the Sabres for $700,00.
Forward David Kampf has signed a two-year contract with the Blackhawks with an AAV of $1 million.
Defenseman Oscar Fantenberg has signed a one-year contract with the Canucks.
Defenseman Ron Hainsey
signed a one-year contract
with the Senators worth $1.35 million.
Defenseman Patrik Nemeth signed a two-year contract with the Red Wings.
Defenseman Andrej Sekera signed a one-year contract with Stars for $1.5 million.

12:50 p.m.

The Vancouver Canucks have jumped into the free-agent pool, signing defenseman Tyler Myers to
a five-year contract with an AAV of $6 million
. Myers led all Jets defensemen in goals last season with nine. The Canucks also signed defenseman Jordie Benn to a two-year contract with an AAV of $2 million.

With forward Artemi Panarin reportedly going to the New York Rangers, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky linked to the Florida Panthers and forward Matt Duchene reportedly going to the Nashville Predators, it will certainly be interesting to see what the Columbus Blue Jackets do now.
Here are other signings that have been announced:
Luke Johnson agreed to terms on
a two-year, two-way contract with the Minnesota Wild
.
Forward Curtis Lazar signed
a one-year contract with an AAV of $700,000
with the Sabres.

12:40 p.m.

We are still waiting for official word from the New York Rangers on the signing of Artemi Panarin. We also waiting for official word on Joe Pavelski and Corey Perry joining the Dallas Stars. There are multiple reports out there that these signings are happening.
Assuming they are, it will certainly be odd at first to see Pavelski in anything other than a Sharks jersey and Perry in anything other than a Ducks jersey.
Here are the latest announced signings:
Center Valtteri Filppula signed a
two-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings
.
Forward Ryan Hartman
agrees to terms on a two-year, $3.8 million contract
with the Minnesota Wild.
Goalie Andrew Hammond signed a one-year contract with the Sabres for $700,000.
Forward Ryan Carpenter signed a three-year deal with the Blackhawks with an AAV of $1 million.

12:20 p.m.

The announcements are starting roll in. Also, to keep up to date on every signing, check out our free agent tracker.
Here are the first signings to be announced.
The Blue Jackets have re-signed defenseman Ryan Murray
to a two-year contract.
The Canadiens agreed to one-year, $1.75 million contract with goalie Keith Kinkaid.
The Wild agreed to a five-year, $30 million contract
with forward Mats Zuccarello.

The Maple Leafs signed center Jason Spezza to a one-year, $700,000 contract.
The Penguins have agreed to terms with forward Brandon Tanev on a
six-year contract with an AAV of $3.5 million
.

12:10 p.m.

The New York Rangers appear to have landed the biggest fish on the market -- forward Artemi Panarin.
There were rumblings as of Sunday night that the Islanders were the leading contenders for Panarin, but multiple reports are now saying he will go to the Rangers.
If that indeed is the case, all eyes will be on what the Islanders do. Do they bring back Anders Lee? They are reportedly going to sign goalie Semyon Varlamov from the Colorado Avalanche.
The official announcements will start rolling in soon.

11:30 a.m.

We are less than 30 minutes away and though there are plenty of reports out there with where players are headed, we still don't have any clarity on the Artemi Panarin situation. Did the New York Rangers trade Jimmy Vesey to clear cap space for the Panarin?
Here are some of the reported landing spots for some UFAs, but again, nothing is official. We will find out soon.
Forward Joe Pavelski to the Dallas Stars
Forward Matt Duchene to the Nashville Predators
Forward Mats Zuccarello to the Minnesota Wild
Defenseman Andrej Sekera to the Dallas Stars
Goalie Curtis McElhinney to the Tampa Bay Lightning
Defenseman Luke Schenn to the Tampa Bay Lightning

11:15 a.m.

We have our second trade of the day
. The New York Rangers traded forward Jimmy Vesey to the Buffalo Sabres for a third-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
Any move the Rangers make at this point makes you wonder if they are trying to clear space under the NHL salary cap to make a run at forward Artemi Panarin.
The Rangers are reportedly one of the teams in on the unrestricted free agent forward, along with the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers and the Colorado Avalanche. But again, it remains a mystery where he's going.
As for Vesey, it's the second time he is Sabres property.
Originally drafted by the Nashville Predators in the third round (No. 66) of the 2012 NHL Draft, he was traded to the Sabres for a third-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft on June 20, 2016 after he didn't sign with the Predators. He didn't sign with the Sabres either and then signed with the Rangers as a free agent on Aug. 19, 2016.
Speaking of the Avalanche, there are reports they will be signing Joonas Donskoi away from the San Jose Sharks.

10:15 a.m.

We are two hours away from the official start of free agency and there are all sorts of reports and numbers flying around Twitter.
While nothing can be official until noon, here is what is out there as far as reports:
Joe Pavelski, who has played his entire NHL career with the San Jose Sharks,
appears headed to the Dallas Stars
.
Matt Duchene, who was traded from the Ottawa Senators to the Columbus Blue Jackets last season,
is expected to sign with the Nashville Predators
.
As far as official signings, the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are expected to lose goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, signed Joonas Korpisalo, a restricted free agent,
to a one-year contract
. Financial terms were not announced.
Besides the landing spots for Artemi Panarin and Bobrovsky among others, another story to watch is if any offer sheets are handed out to restricted free agents, notably Mitchell Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Sebastian Aho of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Offer sheets have been practically non-existent for the past several years, but they could become a factor this year.
We're loading up on the donuts and coffee here and getting ready for the onslaught of news.

8:45 a.m.

As we get closer to the start of free agency, the next NHL home of Artemi Panarin is certainly the most intriguing storyline.
The Athletic reported late Sunday that the Columbus Blue Jackets had offered the forward a mega eight-year contract to stay. Columbus was the only team that could have given him an eight-year contract, but it needed to be completed by midnight, and it appears it did not happen.
Now the most he can get from any team as far as term is seven years. The three teams reportedly in the Panarin sweepstakes are the New York Islanders, New York Rangers and the Florida Panthers.
Speaking of the Panthers, they appear to be the likely landing spot for Panarin's teammate in Columbus, goalie Sergei Bobrobsky. Again, nothing can be official until noon ET.
Stay tuned.

8:15 a.m.

We are less than four hours from the start of free agency, and there is plenty of attention being paid to three unrestricted free agents who played for the Columbus Blue Jackets last season. Forward Artemi Panarin and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky are two of the biggest prizes on the market, and center Matt Duchene reportedly will sign with the Nashville Predators.
Another player who appears to be switching teams is forward Joe Pavelski, who has played the first 13 seasons of his NHL career for the San Jose Sharks. TSN reported Sunday that Pavelski will sign with the Dallas Stars.
It should be a wild day.
We have our first trade of the day with the Toronto Maple Leafs sending defenseman Nikita Zaitsev and forwards Connor Brown and Michael Carcone to the Ottawa Senators for defensemen Cody Ceci and Ben Harpur, forward Aaron Luchuk and the Columbus Blue Jackets' third-round selection in the 2020 NHL Draft (previously acquired by Ottawa).
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