NHL Hockey Player News

In a late-night Boxing Day deal, the Senators brought in veteran centre Derek Stepan from Arizona. Stepan has one-year left on his deal, which carries a $6.5M cap-hit (per PuckPedia) and should prove to be a veteran stop-gap while the Senators' young centres continue to develop. Sepand has a chance to step into the Senators' top-6 and potentially play with Brady Tkachuk and/or Evgenii Dadonov. The last couple of seasons have been rough for Stepan, but he brings great shot volume and a reliable two-way game to a team with a lot of youth.

Dahlstrom served as the Jets' No.7 defenseman in 2020, picking up just one assist in 15 games. Dahlstrom won't be a regular on a deep Vegas blueline but could serve as a No.7 defenseman with them as well.

Instead of overpaying a centre for four or five years in free agency, the Jets go back to a player they're familiar with via trade. Stastny was acquired at the trade deadline in 2018 and he had 28 points (10G / 18A) in 36 games between the regular season and playoffs combined. At 34-years-old, Stastny isn't the player he once was but he is a good short-term solution as the Jets' second line centre.

Murray has one-year left with a $4.6M cap-hit and is a cheap, low-risk addition for the Devils. The Blue Jackets were dumping salary left and right and the oft-injured Murray was a logical choice. The 27-year-old was the No.2 overall pick in 2012 but has not played more than 60 games in the last four years. He's averaged 46.8 games played with 1.5 goals and 13.8 assists (15.3 points) over that stretch.

Gudbranson is entering the final-year of his deal that carries a $4.0M cap-hit. After nine years with the Panthers, Canucks, Penguins and Ducks, Gudbranson gets a chance to play in his hometown. Gudbranson has been much maligned in recent years but brings physicality to a Senators blueline that lost that edge when they let Mark Borowiecki walk in free agency.

Pu was originally drafted in the third-round back in 2016 and has been traded three times since. Pu split his 2020 season between the AHL and ECHL, posting just two assists in 10 AHL games. Once again, this is more of a cap-dump for the Blue Jackets, who appear to be clearing space to re-sign Pierre-Luc Dubois and make a splash in free agency on Friday.

Nutivaara has two years left at $2.7M AAV and should immediately slide into the Panthers' top-4. Nutivaara will likely replace Josh Brown, who was traded to Ottawa Keith Yandle's partner. He was in-and-out of the lineup in 2020, playing just 37games. Over the last three seasons, he's averaged seven goals and 18 assists (25 points) per 82 games, so there is some offence there.

Andersson was the No.7 overall pick in 2017 but was a headache for the Rangers in 2020. Andersson struggled in a fourth line role, posting just one assist in 17 games before being sent to Hartford (AHL). He appeared in 13 AHL games before being suspended by the Rangers and ultimately loaned to HV71 in the SHL. He performed better in his home country, scoring seven goals with five assists (12 points) in 15 games. His dad is a scout for the Kings, so they are taking a low-risk chance on him bouncing back.

Bonino has one-year left at $4.1M AAV and address a major need at centre for the 2020-21 campaign. Bonino is a solid player but his his offensive output is capped. In three years with Nashville, Bonino averaged 18 goals and 18 assists (36 points) per 82 games. He'll likely centre the third line in Minnesota.