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2017 Free Agent Frenzy: Live Coverage of the Carolina Hurricanes and the NHL’s Silly Season

The Canes have needs and money to spend. Will they do one to solve the other today?

By Brian LeBlanc Updated

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Maybe.........?
Jamie Kellner

The 2017 offseason took a detour into Silly Season territory well before July 1 this year. Just from the Carolina Hurricanes’ perspective, we have seen Connor Brickley, Vegas Golden Knights Legend™; Ryan Murphy, Calgary Flames Legend™; another new coach in Charlotte, which is venturing dangerously close to Murphy Brown’s Secretary territory; and the Hurricanes actually being mentioned as being in the mix for something other than free-agent leftovers.

That last one is what we’ll be focusing on here today. We’ll have all the coverage of any free agent signings from the Canes, but here we’ll try to keep pace with what’s going on elsewhere in the league as well. The free-agent “interview” period means that 12:00 today could be quite an adventure, as close to 25 deals have already been reported as being set to sign on the dotted line.

And here we go...

10:30 a.m.: Bob McKenzie went on a tweetstorm this morning and here’s what we know so far:

Meanwhile, Mike Commodore is piling more wood onto the Justin Williams reunion fire:

And Aaron Ward says that the Canadiens are likely to sign Karl Alzner, so it might be a rush of things at 12:00 then a really quiet rest of the day.

10:40 a.m.: More from Ward, and that fire’s getting awfully hot:

Meanwhile, the Star-Tribune’s Michael Russo says that Ryan Murphy could be headed to the Minnesota Wild.

10:45 a.m.: The Panthers and Jaromir Jagr have broken off negotiations, per LeBrun and Dreger. Anyone want a 45-year-old future Hall of Famer?

11:00 a.m.: Kevin Shattenkirk is headed to the Rangers, #asexpected, says Kevin Weekes.

11:15 a.m.: Here’s a deal that may have downstream implications for the Canes: per Dreger, Nick Bonino is headed to the Predators on a four or five year deal. The Preds were one of the teams with interest in Matt Duchene, but this would seem to rule that out. Columbus is apparently the front-runner for Duchene’s services, but could this make a Duchene deal with the Hurricanes more likely? Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs are ensuring that there will be no Ron Hainsey reunion at PNC Arena:

11:35 a.m.: It’s kind of weirdly quiet now, with 20-ish minutes before the market officially opens. There have been a few minor announcements - Nate Thompson to the Senators, Dmitry Kulikov to the Jets - but nothing big. Wonder if teams are waiting to make a splash right at noon.

11:40 a.m.: Don Cherry offering some hot #analysis on Sportsnet’s free agency special, resplendently decked out in a tasteful number celebrating Canada Day:

11:50 a.m.: Not so fast on Shattenkirk?

11:53 a.m.: A thought just crossed my mind looking at the NHL’s master list of free agents: what about an offer sheet to Alex Galchenyuk? He’d come a bit cheaper than Leon Draisaitl, even though he’s a few years older, and he’d be just as a good of a fit, yes?

11:55 a.m.: The Devils are going to sign Brian Boyle, according to Uncle Bob.

12:00 p.m.:

Red Goal Light

Some numbers are now trickling out:

12:05 p.m.:

Hurricanes reportedly sign Justin Williams and Josh Jooris

12:20 p.m.: Here are our stories on the Canes signing Williams and Jooris.

12:45 p.m.: OK, let’s try to catch up on what’s happened here lately. Instead of linking tweets, I’m just going to put the sources in parentheses to save myself some time. BM: Bob McKenzie, DD: Darren Dreger, JS: John Shannon, PL: Pierre LeBrun, NK: Nick Kypreos, EF: Elliotte Friedman, club: an official release from a club.

  • Nashville trades Colin Wilson to the Avalanche for a 2019 fourth-rounder (PL)
  • Chris Thorburn: 2 years, $900k AAV w/ Blues (Aaron Ward)
  • Tyler Pitlick: 3 years, $1 million AAV w/ Stars (club)
  • J-F Berube: 2 years, $750k AAV w/ Blackhawks (Renaud Lavoie)
  • Brett Connolly: 2 years, $1.5 million AAV extension w/ Capitals (club)
  • Mike Cammalleri: one year, $1 million w/ Kings (NK, BM)
  • Michael Del Zotto: 2 years, $1.5 million AAV w/ Canucks (JS)
  • Martin Hanzal: 3 years, $4.75 million AAV w/ Stars (BM)
  • Antti Niemi: one year, $700k w/ Penguins (club)
  • Marc-Edouard Vlasic: 8 years, $7 million AAV extension w/ Sharks (PL)
  • Martin Jones: 6 years, $5.75 million AAV extension w/ Sharks (PL)
  • Ondrej Pavelec: one year, $1.3 million w/ Rangers (Larry Brooks)
  • Benoit Pouliot: one year, $1.15 million w/ Sabres (club)
  • Cam Fowler: 8 years, $6.5 million AAV extension w/ Ducks (EF)
  • Ron Hainsey: 2 years, $3 million AAV w/ Leafs (PL)
  • Paul Postma: one year, $725k w/ Bruins (BM)
  • Beau Bennett: one year, $650,000 (James Mirtle)

1:00 p.m.: Michael Russo was right on the money: Ryan Murphy is headed to Minnesota.

1:10 p.m.: Bobby Mac says that the teams believed to be interested in Patrick Marleau on a three-year deal (!) are the Ducks, Stars, Rangers and Leafs. Plus the Sharks aren’t out of the picture either. But you can go ahead and forget Marleau coming to Carolina if someone’s going to give him three years.

Meanwhile, more signings!

  • Patrick Wiercioch: one year, $650k w/ Canucks (Chris Johnston)
  • Old friend Jamie McBain: two-way deal w/ Lightning (CJ)
  • Landon Ferraro and Cal O’Reilly: 2 years, $700k AAV each w/ Wild (club)
  • Anders Lindback: one year, $650k w/ Predators (club)
  • Hurricanes Legend™ Ty Rattie: one year, $700k w/ Oilers (JS)
  • Christian Folin: one year, $850,000 w/ Kings (CJ)
  • Nick Bonino: four years, $4.1 million AAV w/ Predators (DD)
  • Ryan Miller: two years, $2 million AAV w/ Ducks (Eric Stephens, BM)

1:20 p.m.: The Flames have traded Tom McCollum to the Red Wings, likely meaning that he won’t be returning to the Checkers next season. (DD)

1:30 p.m.: OK, time for a break. Here’s hoping nothing big happens in the next fifteen minutes. Justin Williams is on a media call at 1:45, so stay tuned for that.

2:40 p.m.: Well, that was interesting, eh? Here’s a link to the media conference call with Justin Williams.

Meanwhile, in the signing department:

  • Michael Leighton: one-year w/ Lightning (club)
  • Matt Tennyson: 2 years, two-way in year one w/ Sabres (club)
  • Scott Hartnell: one year, $1 million w/ Predators (club)

2:45 p.m.: It took long enough, but Kevin Shattenkirk is indeed headed to the Rangers on a four-year deal at $6.65 million AAV (Frank Seravalli and BM).

Meanwhile, Radim Vrbata is going to Florida for one year and $2.5 million plus bonuses (literally everyone).

3:15 p.m.: It looks like it’s really quieted down, at least for now, as everyone’s waiting for the likes of Marleau, Thornton and Alex Radulov to sign. We’ll be back later when those pop up, plus any major signings or trades that may occur from the Canes or anyone else, but for now enjoy your Saturday, won’t you?