The Winnipeg Jets have signed forward Andrew Copp to a one-year contract extension worth $3.64 million, the team announced Thursday.

Copp entered the offseason as a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. He'll be unrestricted when his new deal expires and is eligible for another extension as of Jan. 1, 2022.

The Jets now have all their players under contract for the 2021-22 season. Winnipeg is currently projected to be over the $81.5-million salary cap, according to CapFriendly, but the club can exceed the limit by $5.29 million with Bryan Little on long-term injured reserve.

Copp, 27, set career highs in goals (15), points (39), and ice time (18:15 per contest) this past campaign across 55 games. He was a fourth-round pick of the Jets in 2013.

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The Edmonton Oilers signed defenseman Slater Koekkoek to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $925,000, the team announced Thursday.

Koekkoek recorded one point in 18 games with the Oilers last season, averaging just over 13 minutes per contest. Edmonton signed him to a one-year deal last December.

The 27-year-old was the 10th overall pick in 2012. He spent time with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Chicago Blackhawks before joining the Oilers.

Edmonton has made significant changes to its blue line this offseason. The club traded Ethan Bear and lost Adam Larsson in the expansion draft while bringing in veterans Duncan Keith and Cody Ceci.

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Teams across the NHL doled out nearly $1 billion through the first two days of this summer's free-agent frenzy. Given the current state of the league during its post-pandemic flat-cap era, contract terms are under the microscope more than ever for executives, pundits, and fans alike.

The fact of the matter is that a lot of players - including some on this list - were overpaid this offseason. But today, we're going to briefly remove our salary capologist lenses and analyze this year's five best fits in free agency strictly from an on-ice perspective.

1. Dougie Hamilton, Devils

Age: 28
Contract: 7 years, $63 million ($9 million AAV)

Hamilton was this offseason's biggest prize, and the Devils lured him to New Jersey on a contract that will somehow pay him less than the likes Seth Jones, Zach Werenski, and Darnell Nurse over the course of the deal. That's a coup. Hamilton unquestionably makes the Devils' blue line deeper, and he could form a formidable top pair alongside Ryan Graves - another of the club's big-ticket summer acquisitions.

The right-handed shooter drives play and scores goals as well as any defender in the NHL, and he should mesh well with a younger New Jersey team on the rise. Hamilton's going to be playing huge minutes and should contribute at both even strength and on the power play. This signing transforms the trajectory of the Devils' rebuild, full stop.

New Jersey's general manager Tom Fitzgerald should also be commended for landing winger Tomas Tatar - a perfect veteran get at a reasonable cost that will seamlessly slot into the side's top six.

2. Zach Hyman, Oilers

Age: 29
Contract: 7 years, $38.5 million ($5.5 million AAV)

This deal's length could present significant problems for the Oilers down the road, but Hyman immediately solves a problem that has plagued Edmonton for the majority of the Connor McDavid era - the club's forward depth.

Hyman's relentless work rate and tenacity will quickly win over the Oilers faithful and head coach Dave Tippett, plus the former Maple Leafs winger should have no issue matching last season's 63-point pace in a full year riding shotgun with the league's most dynamic scorer. As it stands right now, Edmonton could boast a top six that looks like this on opening night.

That's an impressive group, to say the least. Factor in Hyman's penalty-killing prowess and ability to shut down opponents' top lines, and it's easy to see why the Oilers were so enamored with what he brings to the table.

3. Blake Coleman, Calgary Flames

Age: 29
Contract: 6 years, $29.4 million ($4.9 million AAV)

Coleman's situation is similar to Hyman's. The Flames likely overpaid for his services - particularly in term - but he should gel instantly in Calgary's lineup. Darryl Sutter doesn't tolerate players who don't contribute at both ends of the ice, and Coleman fits the hard-nosed coach's mold perfectly - his two-way play was pivotal in helping the Tampa Bay Lightning clinch consecutive Stanley Cups.

The right-winger managed 31 points in 55 games this past season despite averaging 15 minutes per contest playing behind the Bolts' superstars. With potential top-line ice time available for the Flames, Coleman can easily up his production and be a pivotal piece of Calgary's attack - which has relied too heavily on its big guns in recent years.

As the deal ages, Coleman's status as a top-line threat could quickly deteriorate. His game is predicated on his elite speed, which generates chances on offense and suffocates opponents on defense, and that style is hard to maintain for players in their 30s. But for the time being, Coleman is a great add and should inject energy into a team that spun its tires for most of the 2020-21 campaign.

4. Phillip Danault, Los Angeles Kings

Age: 28
Contract: 6 years, $33 million ($5.5 million AAV)

Paying more than $5 million for a pivot who scored six goals in a combined 75 regular-season and playoff games this past year seems hasty, but landing Danault was a wise move for the up-and-coming Kings.

Danault is one of the NHL's premier shutdown centers, as he clearly illustrated during Montreal's Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Final this postseason. He can slot in behind Anze Kopitar - another dominant defensive force - on Los Angeles' depth chart for now and be a perfect placeholder while blue-chip prospects Quinton Byfield and Alex Turcotte find their footing as professionals. Danault is unlikely to wow with his offensive output, but there are many intricate details about the position he knows well and can pass on to his successors.

Depth down the middle of the ice is imperative to success in this league, and with the Kings slotted in a relatively weak Pacific Division, Danault has a real chance to be a difference-maker for Los Angeles this coming season and throughout the early stages of his new contract.

5. Ryan Suter, Dallas Stars

Age: 36
Contract: 4 years, $14.6 million ($3.65 million)

Suter's buyout from the Minnesota Wild was one of the biggest shocks of the offseason, and his subsequent four-year pact with the Stars was another move that surprised many. Dallas may come to regret paying the veteran rearguard until he's 40, but at a discounted rate, it's certainly a worthy gamble.

The 2003 NHL Draft's seventh overall pick is still a quality contributor and steadying presence on any blue line. Suter's averaged more than 20 minutes per game in all but one of his 16 NHL campaigns and chipped in 19 points while holding a 53.61% expected goals rate at five-on-five in 2020-21, according to Evolving-Hockey.

Pairing Suter with Miro Heiskanen would unlock the youngster's free-wheeling offensive capabilities with a safety net behind him at all times, and the Stars have the defensive depth to put Suter in a smaller role if they choose. Dallas was ravaged by injuries last season but is only one year removed from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final. This roster - if healthy and with Suter in the fold - has a legitimate chance to make noise in the Western Conference next season.

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Jaromir Jagr is still playing professional hockey in the Czech Republic as he approaches his 50th birthday, but it doesn't seem to be entirely for leisure anymore.

"I have a responsibility to the club, otherwise I wouldn’t fly here, and I wouldn’t be making a fool of myself. But if I quit, the partners and sponsors would leave, and the club may be done," Jagr said, according to The Hockey News' Pavel Barta.

"I have no choice. People don’t understand it, but I don’t care. Only God will judge me. I expect much more from myself, and I also believe that I have it in me."

Jagr is the majority owner of his hometown team, Kladno, which he took over from his father in 2011. He's played for the club since leaving the NHL in 2018.

Kladno was relegated from the top Czech league following the 2019-20 campaign and played in the second-tier Chance Liga this past season. Jagr helped guide the team to a championship with 12 points in 19 games, elevating the club back up to the Czech Liga for the upcoming campaign.

With the promotion, Jagr admits he feels it's his responsibility to the fans and the club to keep playing to ensure that its popularity doesn't dwindle, even though his play is declining.

"At the same time, people still expect it from me, and that’s probably the worst feeling - when people think I can, but I know I can’t," Jagr said. "Plus, I can’t even tell them. I just know that I will do my best to help the club. I don’t know if anyone can understand my role. I don’t even want to be in such a position, but I have no choice. As long as my father breathes, I take the club as my responsibility. He held it for 20 years. As a son, I would be embarrassed if I left."

Jagr will turn 50 on Feb. 15, 2022. The right-winger started his professional hockey career with Kladno in 1988 and has been playing ever since. Jagr's appeared in 1,733 career NHL games, totaling 766 goals and 1,921 points.

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Fully vaccinated Winnipeg Jets fans will be able to pack the Canada Life Centre during the 2021-22 season, the club owners announced in a statement Wednesday.

True North Sports and Entertainment outlined that they will be selling to full capacity and that all venue employees, event staff, and guests will be required to provide proof of full vaccination.

"The majority of our season seat holders have shared with us that having a proof of COVID-19 vaccination policy ... is important to them," the company wrote.

Attendees will also be required to wear masks.

A limited number of Winnipeg healthcare workers were allowed to attend games during the 2020-21 playoffs. The Jets were unceremoniously swept by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round.

The ownership groups of the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks announced vaccinations will be mandatory for full-time employees.

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The Florida Panthers re-signed forward Sam Reinhart to a three-year contract, the team announced Wednesday.

Reinhart's deal carries an average annual value of $6.5 million, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

The Panthers acquired the 25-year-old on July 24 from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for goaltender Devon Levi and a 2022 first-round pick. Reinhart was a restricted free agent and had filed for arbitration.

"Sam is a gifted and versatile talent that will play a key role for our team in the coming seasons," general manager Bill Zito said. "One of several players to commit to our organization with a multi-year contract this offseason, we are excited to see how these players come together and continue to build a foundation for success in South Florida."

Reinhart played 54 games with the Sabres last season, leading the team with 25 goals and 40 points. He joins Sam Bennett, Anthony Duclair, Carter Verhaeghe, Gustav Forsling, and Brandon Montour in signing multi-year contracts with the Panthers this offseason.

Buffalo drafted Reinhart second overall in 2014. He's amassed 134 goals and 161 assists in 454 career games and has notched at least 20 goals in five of his six seasons.

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