On Monday, Voynov had his petition for the dismissal to the Los Angeles County Superior Court granted, Strang reported. The 28-year-old didn't appear in court, according to Curtis Zupke of the Los Angeles Times.
The Kings terminated his contract shortly after the arrest, though the right-handed blue-liner has since played in the KHL for SKA St. Petersburg and internationally at the world championships and 2018 Olympics for Russia.
Multiple NHL teams are said to be interested in signing Voynov if NHL officials allow the two-time Stanley Cup champion to re-enter the league.
The Leafs are the sudden championship favorites, according to odds released by OddsShark. (Before St. Louis Blues fans get the pitchforks out, these were posted Sunday afternoon, before the Ryan O'Reilly trade.)
Martin has two years remaining on his contract at $2.5 million per. He was paid a $1.5-million signing bonus by the Maple Leafs on Sunday, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston, reducing the amount of actual money he'd cost a team that acquired him.
After suiting up in all 82 games through his first season in Toronto in 2016-17, Martin's role seriously diminished last season. Mainly a healthy scratch for the second half of the schedule and into the playoffs, the 29-year-old appeared in just 50 contests, registering three goals and nine assists in under eight minutes per night.
TORONTO - The most famous hockey-related list in recent memory shrunk by two-thirds as the weekend neared. The wheels were in motion.
John Tavares, the brightest free-agent star of the NHL's salary-cap era, paced back and forth on his Toronto-area pool deck. His mind raced. He poured over the pros and cons of signing a long-term contract with one of the remaining suitors: the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New York Islanders.
The Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, and San Jose Sharks - all of whom had pitched Tavares earlier in the week at his agency's Los Angeles headquarters - were old news, out, and, as the 27-year-old detailed Sunday, the list was narrowed down to "where I'm from" and "where I've been for a long time."
"My heart was tearing apart trying to figure out what I wanted to do," Tavares said at his introductory press conference.
In the end, with the hockey world in the palm of his hand, the ultra-loyal Tavares opted for what "felt right." His inner calculus spat out Toronto sometime mid-to-late Saturday afternoon.
His camp informed the Leafs not long after, and the two sides began discussing the particulars of a long-term contract. Outlined in the chart below, thanks to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, the signing bonus-heavy deal came to fruition in the wee hours of Sunday.
"I just had this feeling that this was the right fit for me, the right thing to do," said Tavares, stoic as always while his seven-year, $77-million agreement captivated Leafs Nation on Canada Day.
YEAR
SALARY
BONUS
AAV
2018-19
$650K
$15.25M
$11M
2019-20
$910K
$14.99M
$11M
2020-21
$910K
$11.09M
$11M
2021-22
$910K
$8.44M
$11M
2022-23
$910K
$7.04M
$11M
2023-24
$910K
$7.04M
$11M
2024-25
$910K
$7.04M
$11M
Hockey's modest version of LeBron James' infamous Decision in 2010, capped by a bombshell announcement on Tavares' Twitter account, centered around three factors, according to the player, Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas, and Toronto president Brendan Shanahan.
First, the Leafs' indisputably strong roster. Second, the organization's pledge that his family would find comfort under the Toronto glare. Third, the opportunity and challenge of leading his hometown team to glory.
"We worked really hard on our presentation," Shanahan told theScore of the Leafs' pitch in L.A. "We were very clear in who the communicator was and that was Kyle, and we felt we told our story and put our best foot forward. Regardless of what happened, I think there was a quiet confidence around here, that we had done our best, and we were hopeful that he'd choose us."
Fittingly, the Leafs' home rink has a new name. On Sunday, the Air Canada Centre became Scotiabank Arena. The so-called Shanaplan, which started in earnest inside the ACC in April 2014, has entered a new stratosphere.
It's an imperfect comparison, sure, but it's difficult to pump the brakes on the best-case scenario when Auston Matthews, who turns just 21 this fall, is already arguably a top-10 center, and Tavares, a top-10 center for the better part of the past decade, is finally in a position to skate alongside another difference-maker.
Leafs coach Mike Babcock laid out his plans to Tavares in L.A. Stressing that it's the offseason and nothing is set in stone, he revealed Sunday that he has Tavares teaming up with Mitch Marner and Zach Hyman this fall.
Patrick Marleau, Babcock added, will join the dynamic duo of William Nylander and Matthews to complete the top six. With considerable depth, the Leafs' forward group evolved Sunday from very good to great.
LW
C
RW
Patrick Marleau
Auston Matthews
William Nylander
Zach Hyman
John Tavares
Mitch Marner
Andreas Johnsson
Nazem Kadri
Kasperi Kapanen/Connor Brown
Josh Leivo/Carl Grundstrom
Par Lindholm
Brown/Kapanen
On paper, placing Marner on Tavares' wing is a foolproof plan. The former is a tremendous playmaker (who can also finish) and the latter is a 12.9 percent career shooter (who can also thread the needle). Expect more tap-ins, one-timers, and breakaways in No. 91's near future.
"His speed, his ability to control the play, control games at times, his ability to move the puck and create time and space with his feet," Tavares said, rhyming off Marner's alluring qualities. "It's extremely impressive ... when you're on the ice, you know he's around the puck, he's on top of the puck and he wants it."
Exiting the forward fold via free agency are three longtime Leafs. Goal-scoring winger James van Riemsdyk is returning to Philadelphia, third-line centre Tyler Bozak is St. Louis bound, and sparkplug Leo Komarov is off to Dallas. Tavares will slide into Van Riemsdyk's net-front position on the Leafs' first power-play unit, according to Babcock.
Similar to Van Riemsdyk, the Mississauga native is creative around the goalmouth. He has averaged north of three power-play minutes per game over his nine-year career, making a second home in the crease area, and, in 2017-18, bagged 12 of his 37 goals on the PP.
Along with elite skill, vision, finishing ability, durability, and three-zone attentiveness, Babcock believes the newest Leaf brings veteran clout. It's no coincidence Tavares' seat in the locker room neighbors the stalls for both Marner, 21, and Nylander, 22.
"John being older, and John going through the hard knocks of the National Hockey League already - no different than Patrick Marleau when he arrived (last offseason from the Sharks) - the impact he's going to have on our young people is going to be immense," Babcock said.
What now for the league?
The Maple Leafs' odds to win the Stanley Cup vastly improved Sunday. That's a fact. But, in reality, the Tavares signing doesn't guarantee a single thing.
The NHL, of course, has a salary cap, which means the Leafs must be savvy spenders moving forward. Nylander (up now), Matthews (up in 2019), Marner (2019), and blue-liner Jake Gardiner (2019) need contract extensions, while the right side of their defense is ordinary at best.
What's more, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins stand in the doorway. The Atlantic Division is top-heavy, and neither of those teams lost a player of significance through free agency.
Tavares and Steven Stamkos (Getty Images)
Past the Atlantic side of the bracket are Crosby and the Penguins, and Alex Ovechkin and the reigning Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals. Both will be Eastern Conference heavyweights until further notice. It isn't Toronto and another team; it's Toronto and four others.
The West is harder to handicap, yet it features a group of projected Cup contenders in the Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, and Vegas Golden Knights, and the three reloading California teams. Winnipeg, in particular, is primed for a string of deep playoff runs and on a similar trajectory to the Leafs.
A comprehensive league assessment would be premature right now. It's July. The dust must settle on free agency and the rumor mill (hello, Erik Karlsson). Until then, though, Leafs fans can dream big. The power has shifted.
Tavares, who slept in a Leafs-themed bed growing up, talked Sunday about what it would mean to end the decades-long Cup drought.
"It's hard to put that into words, right?" he said.
"People have been waiting for it for a long time. People are hungry for it. The passion for the game, the passion for the Maple Leafs, is unprecedented."
Neal was one of the biggest names on the free-agent market, but he went through the first day of the signing period without finding a suitor.
After three seasons with the Nashville Predators, he was chosen by the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft and went on to record 25 goals and 19 assists in 71 games. The 30-year-old is one of the top snipers in the league, eclipsing the 20-goal plateau in each of his 10 NHL seasons.
Neal would be the latest signing in a busy offseason for Flames general manager Brad Treliving, as the club brought in Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm in a trade for defenseman Dougie Hamilton, and bolstered its offensive options by signing Derek Ryan and Austin Czarnik on Sunday.
John Tavares, Logan Couture, Drew Doughty: these are the marquee players that dominated the opening day of the NHL's free-agent frenzy. However, there are some other names that flew under the radar that deserve some love.
Players on this list signed to relatively little fanfare and comparatively cheap deals, but still hold the ability to be true bargains for their clubs next season. After all, role players and depth pieces have an important part to play on any club with eyes on a deep postseason run.
With that in mind, we rank the best bargain signings from a hectic Day 1 of the free-agency period:
5. Austin Czarnik, C - Calgary Flames
Despite playing in only 10 games at the NHL level for the Boston Bruins last season, Czarnik generated a ton of interest from potential free-agent suitors. His four assists through 10 games with the Bruins last year don't jump off the page, but the undrafted forward out of Miami University has shown flashes of offensive brilliance at the lower levels.
Czarnik's 69 points (25 goals and 44 assists) in 64 games for the Providence Bruins saw him finish three points shy of winning the AHL's scoring title. Sprinkle in his excellent vision and youth, and Czarnik becomes a very intriguing add for Flames general manager Brad Treliving.
Calgary is in need of additional scoring, and at an expected cap hit around $1.25 million for two years, the Flames could have something in the speedy forward.
4. Vlad Namestnikov, F - New York Rangers
Namestnikov had the obvious advantage of playing alongside two of the best snipers in the business with the Tampa Bay Lightning in Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov, so his 20 goals and 24 assists in 60 games for the Bolts might not be an accurate reflection of his overall potential. But neither are his four points in 19 games for the Rangers at the end of last season, as he was playing on a line with Pavel Buchnevich and the offensively challenged Matt Beleskey.
The versatile forward is comfortable playing both on the wing and up the middle, and despite his limited 5-foot-11 frame, Namestnikov can be an effective offensive producer if he's placed on the right line.
New York is a team in transition, so there's no telling what the franchise's roster will look like by opening night. But if the Rangers' newly-hired coaching staff can keep Namestnikov in a top-six role with the right mix of linemates, the young Russian has the playmaking skills to be a serious offensive threat at only $4 million per season.
3. David Perron, LW - St. Louis Blues
Perron's magical run to the Stanley Cup Final with the Vegas Golden Knights ends with a return to the team that drafted him.
The 30-year-old veteran returns to the St. Louis Blues on a team-friendly four-year contract worth roughly $4 million per season. He's coming off a major bounce-back campaign with the Knights by tallying a career-high 66 points in only 70 games, so the price tag is more than fair for a guy who slots immediately into St. Louis' top-six forward group.
Perron might not be the flashiest guy in the league, but he's a consistent point producer who will put up solid numbers regardless of where he plays. At $4 million per, the winger is easily one of the best bargains of Day 1.
2. Carter Hutton, G - Buffalo Sabres
The biggest free-agent goaltender on the market, Hutton had a coming-out party last season in St. Louis, temporarily stealing the crease away from supposed No. 1 netminder Jake Allen midway through the season.
The career backup turned in a 9-1-1 record from Dec. 29 to Feb. 3., which included this save-of-the-year candidate against the New Jersey Devils in early January:
Hutton has spent his entire career playing behind more talented goaltenders, but last year's performance (17-7-3, 2.09 GAA, .931 save percentage) was enough for him to get a crack at being the main guy in the blue paint for the Sabres. Despite being a solid No. 1 option for Buffalo going forward, general manager Jason Botterill should get some props for bringing in Hutton at a backup's rate.
His expected cap hit of $2.75 million a season could be a great deal for Buffalo if Hutton is able to hold it down between the pipes and bring the Sabres organization back to respectability.
1. Riley Nash, C - Columbus Blue Jackets
This might be the first time in his career that Nash finds himself at the top of any kind of power rankings, but his sneaky offensive production and ability to thrive in basically any scenario make him the bargain of the day - especially at a cap hit of only $2.75 million.
Nash can kill penalties, win faceoffs, play the wing, and contribute on the power play if need be. He's also a streaky scorer who's coming off a solid offensive season for the Boston Bruins in 2017-18. Nash registered 15 goals and 26 assists in 76 regular-season games.
A versatile forward like Nash will be a coach's dream for Blue Jackets bench boss John Tortorella, as Nash is a no-nonsense player with the versatility to play multiple positions. His numbers might not leap off the page, but Nash will be an effective forward in Columbus who will make his contract look like a serious steal.
Following Pittsburgh's signing of former Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson, who inked a five-year deal in free agency, Rutherford spoke about Johnson's varying usage in Columbus, particularly the postseason when he was scratched for all six games.
"I don't think he had a bad year," Rutherford told Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. "He was a healthy scratch at the end of the season. I know the reason why. It wasn't because of how he was playing."
Johnson's remarks at an introductory press conference didn't help matters, either, as the veteran defenseman said, "I've been looking to be in a winning culture."
Clearly, those comments didn't sit well with the Blue Jackets fiery bench boss.
"All I know is, this organization, from the lawyers, the front office, (president of hockey operations John Davidson), the managers, the coaches, players ... has done nothing but try to help Jack," Tortorella said. "And for him to backhand slap us like this is utter bullshit, and he should know better.
"No one wishes anything bad to happen to him and his family. We wish him the best. But for him to put it the way he put it today is bullshit. And to have a general manager question our decision-making from three hours away, he must be a fucking magician."
Tortorella's response comes after the Blue Jackets worked alongside Johnson to help him through an extensive personal bankruptcy case which saw him forfeit nearly all of his salary over the past two seasons.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
"(Johnson) doesn't have enough balls to call me back, because I've tried to get in touch with him," Tortorella added. "You don't shit on an organization that's done nothing but try to help you. We all know Jack has had some problems along the way here. It's very well-chronicled. All we've done is try to fucking help him."
Tortorella then turned his aim to Rutherford.
"The thing that pisses me off the most is a general manager in this league questioning and talking about our decision-making," Tortorella said. "Shut the fuck up!
"I don't want to go to name-calling, because I know Jimmy. He's a good man. They're both good people. But what the fuck are they doing? Get on with your business! I hope (Johnson) plays his ass off for them, but stay the fuck out of our business when you don't know what’s going on.”
Mark your calendars now. The first meeting between the Blue Jackets and Penguins this coming season is set for Nov. 24.
