We have stepped into August with some astonishing NHL contracts finalized in the past month. Since eligible NHL players for the annual free-agent market aim for long-term high-paying contracts, the true picture of the contracts in the past month speaks differently. Not many NHL stars have been available in the current year’s unrestricted free agents (UFAs) list. We have covered the details below to get you started if you want to know all about the new NHL contracts (as of July 1st). Let’s dive right in.
Revisiting the NHL July Contracts
When the market opened on July 1st, NHL fans were shocked to find only a few notable stars in the UFA crop. The story is equally true for restricted free agents this year. Since the salary cap rose by only a million in four seasons, only a few teams were able to offer expensive new contracts to players. Resultantly, several UFAs ended up signing one-year deals with teams for much less than what they might have earned (if the cap was higher).
Here, it is worth mentioning that the Detroit Red Wings finalized their four-year contract with Alex DeBrincat. If it goes as planned, this move could substantially favor the team in the long run. While this quick summary highlights the turbulence in the July contracts, we have covered the four NHL contracts from July 2023 that could be the steals of the off-season.
Four NHL Contracts With Big Paying Potential
Here are the four NHL signings with big-paying potential you should know.
Tony DeAngelo (Carolina Hurricanes)
Tony DeAngelo is one of the notable NHL signings this year (as of July). If we look back at his records, the Carolina Hurricanes traded Tony to the Philadelphia Flyers only for a year. Now, he is back with his old team as an unrestricted free agent. Currently, Tony has signed a one-year contract for $1.7 million with the Carolina Hurricanes.
If you are aware of Tony’s NHL history, it is not the first time he was bought out. The New York Rangers were the first in line to cut ties with him based on a noisy argument with Alexander Georgiev (his then-teammate). However, the Philadelphia Flyers state a different reason for buying out Tony DeAngelo. According to the team’s management, Tony’s recent struggles with defense stood tall enough to be a good reason to let him go.
Based on his recent contract signing, if Tony reunites with Slavin on the defensive part, this combo could lead the Hurricanes through the Eastern Conference Finals and the Stanley Cup Final (2024).
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Tyler Bertuzzi (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Toronto Maple Leafs needed a dependable replacement for Micahel Bunting and chose Tyler Bertuzzi to fill the space. Since Michael Bunting was among the top scorers, the team faced a tough situation finding a suitable player to replace his mark. Although Tyler was seeking a $7 million per season deal, Toronto Maple Leafs locked him for a $5.5 million one-year contract.
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If we review his playing records, Tyler has been an incredible forward player with an effective scoring history with the Detroit Red Wings. However, his playing style often became the reason for injuries, sidelining him from several games. Based on the stats, Tyler’s best performance was in the 2021-2022 timeline when he scored thirty goals and 62 points in 68 games.
Although the Toronto Maple Leafs secured a win in nineteen years during this year’s postseason, the team lacked physical scorers in the game against the Florida Panthers. We can expect Tyler to be one of the best cost-effective deals for the season if he holds a strong stance the next spring.
Matt Duchene (Dallas Stars)
Matt Duchene made it to the NHL news right before this year’s market opened for new contracts. Since he was an important part of the Nashville Predators (based on the seven-year $56 million contract), some of his fans were shocked to see the Predators buying him out with three remaining contract years.
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While this door closed, the Dallas Stars found it a promising opportunity to sign Matt for much less than he was getting before. Currently, Matt has signed a one-year $3 million contract with the Stars. If we quickly review his scoring history, Matt showed versatility in most games and scored over twenty goals in nine seasons. Moreover, his career-best stands at 86 points in the 2021-2022 timeline.
Despite his slightly dipping performance in the last season, Matt can provide the Dallas Stars with ample opportunities to score big. He is also one of the potentially strong players with bright bargain chances in the next year.
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Vladimir Tarasenko (Ottawa Senators)
Vladimir Tarasenko is one of the top highlights of this year’s open market. If the salary cap did not settle flat, he might have ended up with a different team instead of the Ottawa Senators. Currently, Vladimir is on a one-year $5 million contract with the team. Despite receiving several offers worth $5.5 million to $6 million, he let go of his agent in the first week of July and hired a new team of representatives.
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Looking back at Vladimir’s fulfilling NHL history, we find over thirty goals and a Stanley Cup (St. Louis Blues). Such a scoring potential definitely deserves more than this year’s compromised pay contracts. It also seems like Vladimir realized that the longer he waited during the flat salary cap time, the more opportunities he would lose.
His one-year deal with the Senators shows the potential to raise the status of a rising team. More so, he might be able to get decent negotiation offers in the next year’s open market.
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Final Thoughts
The recent NHL contracts have created a bitter-sweet scenario for the upcoming sporting events. While true, the potential of the above players may force the industry to raise the salary caps by the next open season. The above details highlight everything you need to know about the July 2023 NHL contracts. If you want to stay ahead of the latest sports updates, feel free to visit Black Sports Digest.
