Speculation: Every NHL Team's Best Free Agent Signing In History

[uncleben]

in terms of best value, Clarke MacArthur for the Leafs, for sure. $1.1MM, 60 points, great play driver. Randy decided to stop using him for uhh no reason in particular. Joe Nieuwendyk also had a great year for $1.5MM.

If we're just talking who helped the team most, Ed Belfour. He stole that series against the Senators, pretty much singlehandedly. There have been a surprisingly large number of good UFA signings - I'm happy with how Roberts, Nieuwendyk, Kubina, Blake, Mogilny, Joseph, Thomas, and Beauchemin worked out. There were some nice smaller signings, Shayne Corson, Tom Fitzgerald, Daniel Winnik, P.A. Pareanteau, Mike Santorelli, Mason Raymond, Jay McClement, and Nik Hagman were all more or less successes. I liked Colby Armstrong, but he fell apart physically and couldn't really accomplish a lot. Mike Komisarek actually put up some not-awful possession numbers when he wasn't hurt, too. And, of course, Patrick Marleau has been great so far.

A pretty solid list, imo

To buck the trend to from what people are talking about in this thread to, by counting college FAs, Tyler Bozak has been a real solid FA signing for us. He's not superstar, but he's right up there in terms of what you hope for when grabbing a free wallet from college.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

I guess James Wisniewski from the Jackets. He was solid for a long time and brought back a good return when traded.

 

[aessi]

Yeah for Anaheim, it’s a no brainer for Scott Niedermayer. The day he signed changed the view and outlook on our team ever since.

What about Selänne?

 

[FameFlame069]

Hudler also had a few good years.
Frolik has been solid overall.

Yeah they were, but it says "best" that's why I said Giordano? I wasgoing to mmention Hudler

 

[simon IC]

As much as it pains me to write this, I have to say Paul Kariya for St. Louis. I always thought he was overrated and over-hyped, (the hype on the now defunct forum on the Official Blues Site reached a level that can only be described as pure hysteria!), and he was ultimately a disappointment. HOWEVER ... he did fill a lot of empty seats at a time when we really, really, needed it. I can't deny or take away from that.

 

[DavidBL]

Yeah for Anaheim, it’s a no brainer for Scott Niedermayer. The day he signed changed the view and outlook on our team ever since.

Technically Selanne was a UFA signing as well.

 

[iginlafan77]

Yeah they were, but it says "best" that's why I said Giordano? I wasgoing to mmention Hudler

It’s definitely giordano, just wasn’t sure if OP was intending for prospect signings to count when they said UFA

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

Brendan Shanahan wasn't a free agent acquisition for the Red Wings. He was acquired via a trade with the Hartford Whalers.

Yeah you're right my bad.

 

[Duck Off]

What about Selänne?

Technically Selanne was a UFA signing as well.

Crazy enough, I forgot about Teemu signing here after we stupidly traded him. I always forget that he did re-sign here as a free agent. I still think Niedermayer is definitely the most important ever. Selanne was amazing when he came back. However, I think the day Nieds signed with us was the biggest impact of a free agent on this franchises's history.

 

[jfhabs]

Eric Staal for the Wild is the best in recent history imo

 

[HockeyGuruPitka]

A pretty solid list, imo

To buck the trend to from what people are talking about in this thread to, by counting college FAs, Tyler Bozak has been a real solid FA signing for us. He's not superstar, but he's right up there in terms of what you hope for when grabbing a free wallet from college.

I second Bozak for the Leafs. Incredibly underrated throughout his entire career.

581gp and all for the Leafs. Has there been another free agent signed by Toronto that came anywhere close to that many games played?

 

[Guardian452]

It’s funny that one person could be so beneficial to one team and so damaging to another within the same few years.

Messier, best signing in rangers history and worst in Canucks history.

Short term, it was terrible in that it destroyed the team chemistry. But long term , it turned out to be a great trade. It resulted in the team tanking and Bure and Linden trades which netted the Canucks Ed Jovanoski, Todd Bertuzzi (who was later traded for Roberto Luongo) and, indirectly, the Sedin twins (one via a high draft pick the team got for sucking so badly, the other with a draft pick acquired by trading Bryan McCabe who the Nucks got in the Linden/Bertuzzi trade).

 

[Cor]

For the Leafs, I’d argue it was Curtis Joseph.

Not only did he help bring success to Toronto (most successful Leaf goalie since the 60’s) but he also helped bring this team out of a dark period under Stavro where he wasn’t investing in the team anymore (the past couple seasons the Leafs were selling off contracts and turned down a Gretzky contract... some even speculated about Sundin being traded)

CuJo signed and helped carry the Leafs to the conference finals. Stavro got a bunch of playoff revenue, realized the team was more valuable when it was winning, and it led to the Leafs bringing in a ton of players between 2000 and 2004 to help maintain the success. (Though Stavro sold the team in 2003)


It’s arguable that Mogilny, Roberts, Belfour, Nieuwendyk, etc don’t get brought in, if Joseph didn’t sign with us.



Of the cap era, it’s obviously Tyler Bozak. Though depending on what happens in the next 2.25 seasons, Marleau could become that.

 

[Kind Sir]

St. Louis Blues sign Scott Stevens away from Washington.

 

[Reaper45]

It’s not the sexy choice, but it’s gotta be Willie Mitchell for the Kings. Signed in 2010-11, he was one of the key pieces of the Kings winning the cup in 2012 and 2014. I don’t think the Kings win either cup without him. So underrated.

Or you could say Demitra(RIP) who turned into O'Sullivan who turned into Williams. Aside from him and Mitchell it's slim pickens in L.A. as far as free agents go.

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

Marian Hossa -Hawks

 

[ManofSteel55]

Can't remember any game changers signing in Edmonton, we've spent most of our existence being unable to afford our star players, so signing free agents to support them was never an option until recently. Since then, few decent players wanted to sign with the Oilers because, well, we stink most years. People laugh when they say Lucic, but if he rebounds and this becomes his down year and he gives us 3 or 4 years like last year, then it could actually realistically be him. Sadly.

 

[uncleben]

I second Bozak for the Leafs. Incredibly underrated throughout his entire career.

581gp and all for the Leafs. Has there been another free agent signed by Toronto that came anywhere close to that many games played?

He's 21st all-time in points by an undrafted college signing, 42nd for an undrafted signing

There are 13 guys from the pre-entry draft era that technically all signed as UFAs and went and played more Leafs games than Bozak has - but really everyone at that time signed as a UFA to start.

Post-entry draft there is only one:

Borje Salming.

 

[THall4]

rangers redden

And pretty much every UFA the Rangers signed pre-lockout

 

[justafan22]

It's Cujo for the leafs

 

[Spectra]

Marian Hossa.

 

[Mister Ed]

For the Red Wings, I would say Brian Rafalski.

Had 204 pts in 292 games. He was stellar with Lidstrom in getting the Stanley Cup in 2008.

 

[BeaverSports]

As mentioned above, definitely Belfour and Hull for the Stars. Some have also said Pat Verbeek was a shrewd get on Bob Gainey's behalf as that kind of started the ball rolling with Dallas as a destination and I'd have to agree.

Jagr was a pretty good move years later. Otherwise, hard to find too many signings that jump out in a positive light over the years.

 

[Gospel of Prospal]

For the Rangers, it's probably Gomez, honestly.

We turned him into a #1D then traded that #1D for a haul.

Guess that's one way to look at it

 

[FerrisRox]

For the Leafs, I’d argue it was Curtis Joseph.

Not only did he help bring success to Toronto (most successful Leaf goalie since the 60’s) .

How is Curtis Joseph more successful than Felix Potvin? Potvin backstopped the Leafs to back to back conference finals.