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<\/a><\/p>\nIt should come as no surprise what the best deal of the day was.<\/p>\n
The Montreal Canadiens did it again, locking up Ivan Demidov for the next eight seasons at just a $9.15 million cap hit. For four of these years, there will be less than $1 million separating Demidov\u2019s cap hit from Jacob Trouba\u2019s. Obviously, UFA and RFA aren\u2019t apples-to-apples, but that juxtaposition is among the most jarring of the day.<\/p>\n
Demidov is coming off a sensational rookie season where he scored 62 points; it\u2019s not difficult to see him putting up 90 one day. There is extremely little risk here given Demidov\u2019s explosive growth potential and this deal will likely be a steal for Montreal for years to come even if he just ends up as an everyday top-line player. If Demidov hits his ceiling, though, it has the potential to challenge Lane Hutson\u2019s deal for the best in the league.<\/p>\n
Tyson Foerster<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s not at the same level as Demidov\u2019s deal, the Flyers did quite well with their own RFA signing, locking up Tyson Foerster for $7.1 million on an eight-year deal.\u00a0<\/p>\n Foerster\u2019s box score numbers don\u2019t exactly pop, but he did up himself to a 48-point pace last season after scoring 43 the year prior. His real calling card, though, is his defensive game; Foerster grades out as one of the league\u2019s best defensive wingers. He\u2019s a major part of Philadelphia\u2019s identity on that front and it got him a well-deserved raise.<\/p>\n Viktor Arvidsson<\/p>\n On a day where fourth-line centers get $4.25 million, it\u2019s nice to see some surplus value added on a legit top-six forward. While I\u2019m still unsure as to how Viktor Arvidsson struggled the way he did in Edmonton, his consistency as a 60-point threat for the Bruins, Kings and Predators is really valuable. Only needing two years of term is pretty tidy for Detroit, too.<\/p>\n The Red Wings needed a ton of help in their middle six on the wings. Arvidsson should add that as a rush threat who was an incredibly efficient five-on-five scorer last season. Only Nikita Kucherov and Nathan MacKinnon had a higher points-per-60 than Arvidsson. Not bad for $5 million, even if he more than likely misses some games at some point during the deal.<\/p>\n Mats Zuccarello<\/p>\n Anytime a team can add a winger that scored 54 points in 59 games, it\u2019s a win. Doing that for just a million bucks? That\u2019s a no-brainer.<\/p>\n It\u2019s still a bit puzzling as to why Minnesota felt the need to move on from Mats Zuccarello, but that\u2019s the Kings\u2019 gain as Zuccarello still has a ton of game left in the tank. Obviously, there\u2019s a bit of a Kaprizov Effect to his numbers, but Zuccarello brings a lot in his own right with his playmaking ability. That should fit in perfectly next to Artemi Panarin.<\/p>\n While the bonuses attached to Zuccarello\u2019s deal remain unknown, it\u2019s hard to imagine that they\u2019ll matter all that much given he still carries true top-six impact. The difference between that and a million bucks is vast enough that he\u2019ll provide a ton of value no matter what.<\/p>\n Matias Maccelli<\/p>\n Given how wild some of the deals got today, nothing wrong with some tidy business for a middle-six winger. The Islanders needed someone with Matias Maccelli\u2019s crafty creativity and he had a nice return to form last year with the Leafs, scoring 2.14 points-per-60 while being one of the team\u2019s better play-drivers. For just $2.25 million, it\u2019s difficult to do better; that\u2019s the going rate for some fourth-liners these days.<\/p>\n Worst dealsJacob Trouba<\/p>\n We knew there would be sticker shock today and we knew it would specifically occur when a big, minute-eating defenseman signed a deal above his pedigree. Jacob Trouba was, in fact, one of the top targets for that given his expected contract started with a six while his game slipped to a No. 4\/5 level.<\/p>\n But boy was it hard to prepare for this: $8.25 million per year on a four-year deal. Woof.<\/p>\n Trouba has a ton of intangibles, is by all accounts a strong leader, and plays a game with a much-needed edge. The Sharks were also desperate for help in the top four. But this was a truly ridiculous price to pay for a player that simply isn\u2019t that guy anymore. His bounce-back in Anaheim was solid enough to get him back on track, but he\u2019s still a player in decline. His age makes him a tough bet to believe Trouba can maintain his modest level as a low-end second-pairing option.<\/p>\n Pair all that with the Darnell Nurse trade and the Sharks might have added the worst bang-for-your-buck defense pair in the league, all in one day.<\/p>\n Bowen Byram<\/p>\n Bowen Byram is the highest-paid defenseman in the NHL. That is probably all we need to say here.\u00a0<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t matter that he\u2019s actually pretty good, better than he\u2019s given credit for analytically. It doesn\u2019t matter if the cap is going up. It doesn\u2019t matter if he\u2019ll start scoring more in Chicago because of an increased role. The Chicago Blackhawks gave a No. 3 defenseman the richest defenseman contract in the league. There is no defending that.<\/p>\n The whole point of finding a No. 3 that\u2019s secretly a No. 1 in disguise is that you get a major win because of it somewhere. Sometimes it\u2019s at a lower trade price. Sometimes it\u2019s at a lower contract price. Oftentimes it\u2019s both. Chicago somehow got neither, paying well above full freight on both fronts. Even if you figure Byram gets all the offensive opportunity he wasn\u2019t getting in Colorado and Buffalo, the best case is what\u2019s listed above: A low-end No. 2 defenseman \u2014 one that comes with a lot of risks without the puck.<\/p>\n This contract leaves very little upside, where if Byram does become a true No. 1 \u2014 which isn\u2019t exactly likely \u2014 he\u2019ll just be paid a fair deal. If just getting a fair deal is what qualifies as a win for Byram, the downside risk is staggeringly enormous.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a bad bet by a team that should\u2019ve had the patience not to make it.<\/p>\n Rasmus Andersson\u00a0<\/p>\n Vegas has typically made savvy bets in free agency, going big-game hunting with fair deals that age well. There\u2019s a good chance that this one is the exception to that rule; Rasmus Andersson just isn\u2019t that good.<\/p>\n In the context of the Jacob Trouba deal, it\u2019s a no-brainer; Andersson is a lot better and at least a legit top-four defenseman at the moment. It\u2019s the term that\u2019s troubling for a player who already isn\u2019t worth $8.5 million. He may not be overpaid to the level of Trouba, but Andersson is still overpaid for what he brings to the table. That it cost the team Pavel Dorofeyev is another issue on top of it.<\/p>\n The other issue with Andersson is that his point totals are fairly empty calories and he struggles defensively to push play. That was on full display throughout Vegas\u2019 playoff run and it\u2019s a slight surprise the Golden Knights brought him back at this price despite it.<\/p>\n Colton Sissons<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n