Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Thanks to last summer’s $4.5-million jump in the salary cap, the 2024 free agency period was juicy for the NHL.
But big contracts don’t always deliver big outcomes. And some value signings will outperform expectations.
Because the Tampa Bay Lightning traded for his rights, Jake Guentzel’s seven-year, $63-million deal tends to fly under the radar, overshadowed by the dramatic departure of Steven Stamkos.
But Guentzel has been nothing but steady with his new team, with 22 points in 23 games. Meanwhile, Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei are still trying to hit the right notes in Music City.
Here are six other free-agent signings who have found good chemistry on their new teams though the first third of the 2024-25 NHL season.
Brandon Montour, D, Seattle Kraken
Seven years, $7.143-million cap hit
Fresh off his Stanley Cup win with the Florida Panthers, Montour signed the biggest July 1 deal of any defenseman when he joined the Seattle Kraken.
Through his first 25 games in the Emerald City, the 30-year-old is leading his team in ice time at 23:44 per game. And while the Kraken are still outside the playoff cutline, they’ve improved by three points from the same time last year and have allowed 14 fewer goals against while improving their overall goal differential from minus-22 to minus-3.
Montour is also second in team scoring, with 17 points, and his possession numbers at naturalstattrick.com show that he makes his teammates better no matter who else is on the ice.
Tyler Toffoli, RW, San Jose Sharks
Four years, $6-million cap hit
Now on his seventh NHL team, Toffoli has bounced around a lot. But he has put the puck in the net wherever he’s played.
Eyebrows went up when he chose the San Jose Sharks on July 1. But his wife is from California, and Cup champion experience and soft hands have been a boon to a Sharks squad that is improving much more rapidly than expected.
Toffoli is currently skating on a revamped second line with Luke Kunin and another new arrival, Alex Wennberg, and he’s anchoring the first unit on a solid power play. With 10 goals so far, he’s on pace to crack 30 for the third time in his career.
As of Dec. 4, the Sharks have played two more games than last season. They’ve scored 33 more goals, improving their differential from minus-55 to minus-17, and picked up 11 more points in the standings.
Related: Four Veteran NHL Stars Who Are Better Than Ever In 2024-25
Jake DeBrusk, LW, Vancouver Canucks
Seven years, $5.5-million cap hit
A notoriously slow starter throughout his career, DeBrusk maintained that pattern when he left Boston for Vancouver this fall. After managing just four assists in nine October games, he scored in three straight games as soon as the calendar flipped to November.
With five goals in his last three games, including a hat trick on Dec. 1 against the Detroit Red Wings, the 28-year-old has found chemistry with Elias Pettersson, as GM Patrik Allvin hoped would happen when he made the signing on July 1.
DeBrusk is now up to 11 goals for the season — leading the Canucks. He’s also at 20 points, so he’s well on his way to surpassing his previous highs of 27 goals and 50 points.
Sean Monahan, C, Columbus Blue Jackets
Five years, $5.5-million cap hit
Monahan’s plan to reunite with Johnny Gaudreau in Columbus was tragically stopped. But the 30-year-old has staunchly honored his friend’s memory at every turn, helping the Blue Jackets heal while they make their way back to NHL respectability.
Related: Three NHL Teams That Aren’t In A Playoff Spot But Can Still Make It
Anchoring the top line with youngsters Dimitri Voronkov and Kirill Marchenko, Monahan is delivering reliable two-way play and faceoff savvy while averaging nearly 19 minutes a night. That’s the kind of ice time he was putting up when he potted 34 goals and 82 points playing with Gaudreau on the Calgary Flames in 2018-19.
Shayne Gostisbehere, D, Carolina Hurricanes
Three years, $3.2-million cap hit
First acquired from the Arizona Coyotes at the 2023 NHL trade deadline, Shayne Gostisbehere helped the Carolina Hurricanes reach the final four for the second time since 2009. Budget constraints meant that he couldn’t immediately be extended, but when the cap rose, the Hurricanes slotted him back into their plans last summer.
Mobile and offensively talented, Gostisbehere’s 14 power-play points are tied with Cale Makar for tops in the NHL among defensemen. With 20 total points, he leads all blueliners who changed teams during the off-season.
Terrence Lee-Imagn Images
View the 6 images of this gallery on the original article
Stefan Noesen, RW, New Jersey Devils
Three years, $2.75-million cap hit
Speaking of the most effective off-season changes, Stefan Noesen’s 22 points tie him with Guentzel and Monahan for the most points to date on a new team, not counting Clayton Keller’s 22 points on Utah.
A big-bodied power forward, the 31-year-old was a hot commodity after he put up 14 goals and 37 points with the Hurricanes last season.
In just 28 games since he returned to New Jersey, he has already logged 13 goals. His play has earned him top six minutes with Timo Meier and Nico Hischier, and he wreaks havoc at the net front on the power play.
A first-round pick by the Ottawa Senators in 2011, Injuries slowed Noesen’s development. He briefly found his footing after the Devils claimed him off waivers early in 2017 and then again with the Hurricanes in 2022-23. But this second stint with the Devils looks to leave his time in the AHL in the dust.
Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or by visiting our forum.
