Welcome to the NHL free agency buzz. Free agency begins Monday and teams are signing their players, trading them or considering moving on without them. Here is an overview of the latest League activities:
St. Louis Blues
The Blues acquired Alexandre Texier in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday for a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Texier, who could have become a restricted free agent July 1, signed a two-year contract with the Blues worth an average annual value of $2.1 million.
The 24-year-old center has 30 points (12 goals, 18 assists) in 78 games this season and 79 points (34 goals, 45 assists) in 201 NHL games, all with Columbus.
He played the 2022-23 season with the ZSC Lions in the Swiss National League before returning to Columbus. He signed a two-year contract with Columbus ahead of the 2021-22 season, with the second year of the contract covering this season.
Vancouver Canucks
Nikita Zadorov will not return to the Canucks next season.
General manager Patrik Allvin said Friday the pending unrestricted free agent would sign elsewhere.
“I can’t overpay one player and Nikita Zadorov was extremely good for us in the playoffs and he was a character guy,” Allvin said. “We did the best we could and he decided he wanted to go somewhere else.”
The 29-year-old defenseman was traded to the Canucks by the Calgary Flames for a fifth round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft and a third round pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft on November 30, 2023.
He had 14 points (five goals, nine assists) and a plus-six rating in 54 games with the Canucks, and eight points (four goals, four assists) and a plus-3 rating in 13 playoff games.
He has 146 points (47 goals, 99 assists) in 642 career NHL games with the Buffalo Sabres, Colorado Avalanche, Chicago Blackhawks, Flames and Canucks.
He signed a two-year contract with the Flames on July 13, 2022, worth an average annual value of $3.75 million.
News Source : www.nhl.com
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