The NHL annual migration of free agents from one club to the next began on Friday. A quick calculation along the way had estimated that $275 million dollars had been spent/made by teams/players in the first 55 minutes of the day.
A few notes from the day’s events are worthy of special comment.
Firstly, Milan Lucic signed with the Edmonton Oilers for a reported $42 million over seven years with nearly half of that amount loaded into bonuses. 
Lucic was not one to carry to the Boston Bruins or the Los Angeles Kings to the promised land over the last few years and now he is on a team with Connor McDavid and a host of young talent that has not driven the Oilers to the post season.
As Puck Daddy’s Greg Wyshynski tweeted on Friday, it will be an exciting next HL lockout as clubs try to claw back the bonus structure.
The Detroit Red wings were in the market as for big time spending as they landed Frans Nielsen formerly of the New York Islanders. Nielsen signed for six years and $31.5 million. After a 52-point season with the Isles, the cost seems high.
The Wings also signed Tomas Vanek for a year at $2.6 million to see if he can appear for an entire season. At one year, he would not be available for the expansion draft next summer.
The New York Islanders were probably feeling the pinch of being dismantled by free agency and responded by signing Andrew Ladd to a seven-year deal worth $5.5 million annually. With Nielsen going to the Wings and Kyle Okposo headed to the Buffalo Sabres, it was a move the Isles needed to make. Ladd brings experience and talent but will be 31 this season.
It was a day of $6 million per year contracts and the Boston Bruins signed up for the cash grab too when they signed David Backes away from the St Louis Blues for $30 million over five years.
The Minnesota Wild signed Eric Staal for three years for $3.5 million annually. Over the course of the day, Staal seemed to blame his lower production of late on once and former teammates. If that were truly the case, Staal would be making north of the figure the Wild made available. He made the statement Friday now it will time to prove himself right or lay the blame at his own skates for drifting offensive output.
After resigning Steve Stamkos to a monster contract this week, the Tampa Bay Lightning resigned Victor Hedman to an eight-year, $63 million new contract. Certainly Stamkos and Hedman would have commanded higher dollars on the open market but these two contracts have the potential to come back and bite the Bolts later.
The Islanders also lost Matt Martin from the fold on Friday who signed a larger than expected contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs: four years and $10 million. It makes the Leafs a little nastier down low on the fourth line but for that cost?
When you spend too much money for too many years you end up like the New York Rangers scratching the surface of the market for cheap deals. The Rangers signed younger players (23 to 28 years of age) including Adam Clendening, D — 1 year, $600,000 Michael Grabner for two years and $3.3 million, Nathan Gerbe for one year at $600,000, and Michael Paliotta for one year. No splashy names really but perhaps players who will be more motivated than what already exists on the roster on Broadway.
On to Day 2.
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