NHL Free Agency Frenzy 2020: Signing Tracker and Analysis


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2020_Free_Agency_900x500

It’s not July 1, but with plenty of stars available and lots of teams looking for help, it will be madness. Welcome to NHL free agency day 2020. Stay tuned to this page throughout the day for minute-by-minute updates and analysis of every UFA deal. (Salary data via capfriendly.com.)

4:03 p.m.
CALGARY FLAMES: G Jacob Markstrom signs a six-year, $36-million deal ($6-million AAV)

THN’S TAKE: The Flames are all-in. As a middling contender, they needed a push toward true Stanley Cup contention, and the plan started with landing a true No. 1 netminder. Based on the money and term they’re giving Jacob Markstrom, they believe he’s their man. Is he? He’s fresh off the best season of his career, but he was merely good, never great, for his nine NHL seasons before that, which included sticking as a full-time NHLer with Vancouver from 2015-16 onward. He always had elite prospect pedigree, however, and few netminders have a bigger wingspan, so perhaps he’s blooming late, as plenty of goalies have done in their 30s. He’s a big upgrade in Calgary’s crease…probably. Arguably no goalie’s performance will be as scrutinized as his in 2020-21 after he landed a six-year deal that will pay him until he’s 37. Matt Larkin


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