Pittsburgh isn't retaining salary in the deal, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie. There are three years remaining on Kessel's current contract with an annual cap hit of $6.8 million.
Kessel joined the Penguins ahead of the 2015-16 season, and he was a key contributor to the club's back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017.
Galchenyuk was traded from the Montreal Canadiens to the Coyotes last summer. He recorded 19 goals and 41 points this past season.
The Coyotes selected Joseph with the 23rd overall pick in 2017.
The 27-year-old is due for a $3-million bonus paid out on July 1, so it's unlikely the Leafs will be able to move him before then.
There are five years remaining on Zaitsev's seven-year, $31.5-million contract signed with the Maple Leafs ahead of the 2017-18 season. The Russian rearguard requested a trade in May.
The Leafs hold a projected $5.54 million in cap space with restricted free agent Mitch Marner still needing a new deal. However, the team can place Nathan Horton and his $5.3 million cap hit on long-term injured reserve to free up space.
Zaitsev posted three goals and 14 points over 81 games for the Leafs this past season.
"This is one of the toughest decisions I've faced in my life and it took me a long time to make it," Luongo wrote in an open letter to the fans on the Panthers' website. "After thinking about it a lot over the past two months and listening to my body, I made up my mind. It just feels like the right time for me to step away from the game."
The 40-year-old finishes his career ranked second all time among goalies with 1,044 games played, third in wins with 489, and ninth in shutouts with 77.
Luongo still had three years remaining on the 12-year, $64-million contract he signed with the Vancouver Canucks ahead of the 2010-11 season. The Canucks will get hit with a cap recapture penalty of slightly more than $3 million in each of the next three seasons, and the Panthers' recapture penalty will be slightly more than $1 million over the same period of time, according to CapFriendly.
The penalty leaves the Canucks with a projected cap hit of $66 million and a projected $15.5 million in cap space. The Panthers now have a projected cap hit of $57.6 million and $23.9 million in projected cap space.
The penalty, part of the latest CBA, was designed to punish teams that signed cap-circumventing contracts.
Luongo was selected by the New York Islanders with the fourth overall pick of the 1997 NHL Draft and spent one season on Long Island, eight with the Canucks, and 11 with the Panthers.
The Philadelphia Flyers and goaltender Brian Elliott have agreed to a one-year contract extension with an average annual value of $2 million, the team announced Wednesday.
Elliott was limited to just 26 games in 2018-19 due to injury. He posted a record of 11-11-1 with a 2.96 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage.
With Elliott signed, the free-agent goalie pool loses a reliable veteran talent with many teams still needing help in the crease. The Flyers now have three goaltenders under contract in Carter Hart, Alex Lyon, and Elliott, making it likely that UFA netminders Michal Neuvirth and Cam Talbot find new homes this offseason.
Elliott joined the Flyers on a two-year deal ahead of the 2017-18 season and is now primed for his 13th NHL campaign. The 34-year-old was Philadelphia's nominee for the 2018-19 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
With July 1 fast approaching, teams are gearing up for a chance to bolster their rosters in free agency. And while the bigger names are receiving the most attention, there are plenty of other talents who could push their ceilings to greater heights.
With that in mind, here are five free agents who are likely to sign bargain deals this offseason that could pay off in big ways for their clubs (stats are from 2018-19 campaign).
Corey Perry - RW
GP
G
A
P
Cap hit
31
6
4
10
$8.62M
Perry has declined statistically over four consecutive campaigns and did not play until February this past season while recovering from knee surgery. Given he's 34 years of age, the veteran winger is likely to sign a one-year deal at a lower cost, allowing his next team to avoid any risk.
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Still, Perry could have more to offer, as he did record 53 and 49 points in 2016-17 and 2017-18, respectively. On top of his offensive potential, the Ontario native has always been someone opponents hate playing against but would love to have on their team. Even when Perry isn't finding the scoresheet, he's getting under the skin of the opposition.
If he can rediscover his form over a healthy offseason and lands on the right team, Perry could be one of the biggest steals of the summer.
Joonas Donskoi - RW
GP
G
A
P
Cap hit
80
14
23
37
$1.9M
Donskoi is technically coming off a career season, but his 37 points were only one more than he totaled in his rookie campaign four years ago. The 27-year-old hasn't shown much growth during his time with the San Jose Sharks, and after logging the lowest average ice time of his career, a change of scenery could help.
Meanwhile, the Finn's upside is worth exploring, as he's always been on the right side of the possession metric. Donskoi finished 2018-19 with a Corsi For of 54.46, while the Sharks owned 56 percent of high-danger scoring chances when he was on the ice. Donskoi has also suited up for 50 career playoff games already, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016.
It's tough to say exactly how much Donskoi will fetch on the free-agent market. He's clearly a productive player when on the ice, but it will be interesting to see if teams believe he has more room to grow, or if they think he'll simply slide into a bottom-six role.
Brandon Tanev - LW
GP
G
A
P
Cap hit
80
14
15
29
$1.15M
Tanev enjoyed a career year with the Winnipeg Jets last season while forming one of the better depth lines in hockey alongside Adam Lowry and Mathieu Perreault. The 27-year-old proved to be an effective bottom-six forward who could log tough minutes against opponents' top talents while still contributing offensively.
Darcy Finley / National Hockey League / Getty
The Toronto native plays a heavier game than his 6-foot frame would indicate, as he finished third in the NHL with 278 hits last season and is extremely effective on the forecheck. Tanev's strong defensive acumen also saw him average the second-most shorthanded minutes per game among Jets players - with two shorthanded goals - while leading the forward group in blocked shots.
The gritty winger may receive a slight pay bump this offseason, but a team will likely sign him to a cap-friendly deal and have him fit nicely into its lineup.
Jordie Benn - D
GP
G
A
P
Cap hit
81
5
17
22
$1.1M
Benn offers a steady presence on the blue line and can also contribute offensively. The 31-year-old led the Montreal Canadiens with 128 blocked shots in 2018-19 and ranked sixth on the team in hits with 124 - all while tallying a career high in points.
Additionally, the advanced analytics are on Benn's side. The Habs owned 52.23 percent of scoring chances when he was on the ice, and that number jumped to 55.08 percent with high-danger scoring chances. Benn also averaged 2:46 of shorthanded ice time last season, as he's capable of logging heavy minutes on the penalty kill.
The 6-foot-2 blue-liner is coming off perhaps his best season, but it's rare that a depth defenseman gets a substantial pay raise in their early 30s. Benn should be available at a lower cost and could prove to be quite the bargain.
Tyler Ennis - LW
GP
G
A
P
Cap hit
51
12
6
18
$650K
The Toronto Maple Leafs inked Ennis to a one-year deal that turned out to be one of the better bargains of 2018-19. The former 20-goal scorer rediscovered his offensive game in Toronto, hitting double digits in the goal column despite playing less than 10 minutes per night and missing two months with a broken ankle.
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Overall, Ennis' strong skating, puck skills, and relentless work ethic make him an ideal bottom-six forward in the modern NHL who's capable of serving a role on the power play, as he often did with the Leafs. In five playoff games against the Boston Bruins, the 29-year-old contributed two assists, including one in Game 7.
The Hockey Hall of Fame announced its six 2019 inductees Tuesday, headlined by Hayley Wickenheiser, perhaps the greatest female player of all time.
Forwards Guy Carbonneau and Vaclav Nedomansky plus defenseman Sergei Zubov will also enter the Hall.
In the builders category, executive Jim Rutherford and college coaching legend Jerry York represent this year's inductees.
Wickenheiser is one of the most decorated women's players ever, having captured seven gold medals for Canada at the Women's World Championship. She's also a five-time Olympic medalist and won four consecutive gold medals from 2002-14. Wickenheiser is the Canadian women's team's all-time leader in goals, assists, and points over 276 career games.
Carbonneau tallied 663 points in 1,318 NHL contests and captured the Selke Trophy as the league's top defensive forward in 1988, 1989, and 1992. The former Montreal Canadiens captain won Stanley Cups with the Habs in 1986 and 1993, and one more with the Dallas Stars in 1999.
Zubov is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, once with the New York Rangers in 1994 and again with the Dallas Stars in 1999. The blue-liner finished his career with 771 points in 1,068 career games with the Rangers, Stars, and Pittsburgh Penguins. He remains the Stars' all-time points leader among defensemen.
Nedomansky recorded 277 points in 420 NHL games split between the Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, and New York Rangers. Before joining the NHL in 1978, Nedomansky was a member of Czechoslovakia's national team and competed in the Olympics twice.
As a general manager, Jim Rutherford helped build champions in multiple cities. Rutherford served as president and GM of the Carolina Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers from 1994-2015, and the franchise won its first and only Stanley Cup in 2006.
Rutherford joined the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016. Under his guidance, the Penguins became the first team to capture back-to-back Cups in the salary-cap era, winning in 2016 and 2017. Rutherford also received the NHL General Manager of the Year Award in 2016.
York is one of college hockey's most decorated coaches and has served as head coach of the men's team at Boston College since 1994. He's won five NCAA championships, his first with Bowling Green in 1984 and the rest with the Eagles (2001, 2008, 2010, and 2012).
Fresh off the first Stanley Cup win in franchise history, the St. Louis Blues signed head coach Craig Berube to a three-year contract, the team announced Tuesday.
"This is a proud day for me and my family," Berube said. "I have a tremendous amount of respect for this team and this organization and the city of St. Louis has embraced me as one of their own. This past season was the experience of a lifetime and I'm anxious to get started on our title defense."
Berube took over as interim head coach after the Blues fired Mike Yeo on Nov. 19, and then led the team to a 38-19-6 record.
In the process, the 53-year-old helped lead one of the biggest turnarounds in NHL history, as the Blues sat last in the league on Jan. 3 before going 30-10-5 down the stretch to claim the third spot in the Central Division.
For his efforts, Berube was named a finalist for the 2019 Jack Adams Award as the league's best coach. He originally joined the Blues as an associate coach in June 2017.
The Colorado Avalanche have traded forward Carl Soderberg to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for defenseman Kevin Connauton and a third-round pick, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.
By qualifying the 21-year-old, the Oilers would maintain his rights if he decides to play in Europe next season - something the winger's agent said will happen if he isn't traded away from Edmonton.
Meanwhile, Oilers general manager Ken Holland said recently that he'll only deal Puljujarvi if it makes sense for the team.
After being selected by Edmonton with the fourth overall pick of the 2016 draft, Puljujarvi has struggled to carve out a role, contributing just 17 goals and 37 points in 139 career contests.
The qualifying offer to Puljujarvi must include a 5 percent raise, or just over $874,000, Spector added.
Sanheim enjoyed a productive sophomore season with the Flyers, finishing tied for first among the team's defensemen with nine goals and second in scoring with 35 points in 82 games. The 23-year-old also logged 19:34 of ice time per game and finished third on the team with 133 blocked shots.
The Flyers still have a number of contracts to sort out, and locking up a young talent like Sanheim on a bridge deal with a team-friendly cap hit gives them more room to operate.
Forwards Scott Laughton, Travis Konecny, and Ryan Hartman, along with defenseman Ivan Provorov, are all restricted free agents in need of a new deal. With the salary cap now officially at $81.5 million, the Flyers have a projected $18.1 million to work with, according to CapFriendly.
Sanheim was selected 17th overall by the Flyers at the 2014 draft.
