After almost a month and a half on the free agent market, Nazem Kadri finally found a new home in Calgary. Earlier today he signed a 7-year, $49M deal with the Flames that will pay him an average of $7M per season. Kadri was seemingly holding up a plethora of free agents from signing as teams and likely players were waiting to see what his contract would be and adjust their values accordingly.
Kessel, Milano and Gagner can all contribute in bottom six roles and provide teams with flexibility on special teams, but with Milano specifically, his ask may still be high after the season he put up last year with Zegras. Meanwhile, Kessel, Stastny and Rodrigues do have the ability to help out in the middle six. P.K. Subban remains the top defenseman on the UFA market.
Ennis, Chiasson and Stralman could be great depth pieces for teams, but Jonathan Dahlen is an interesting piece. He's only 24-years old and has played just one season in the NHL for the San Jose Sharks. Dahlen could be a great reclamation project for the right team.
From the Leafs' perspective, I could see any of Stastny, Rodrigues or Milano making some sense, but their asking prices are likely prohibitive for the Buds. Gagner, on the other hand, should be a prime candidate for a league-minimum deal. Of course, that's if he isn't eyeing a deal with the Oilers already.
