Big UFA Signings That Actually Worked Out?

FrozenJagrt

Registered User
Dec 16, 2009
10,445
4,488
Rafalski to Detroit was pretty good. Speaking of, there have been some solid undrafted players signed as free agents. Along with Rafalski, Belfour was a really good grab out of college.

Paul Kariya was a good pickup for the Preds.
 
  • Like
Reactions: aemoreira1981

member 157595

Guest
Chara, Boston.

Tavares, Leafs.

Marleau, Leafs has been okay too.

Marleau's contract is bad and his play this year has been meh. Tavares it's too soon to tell.

Chara, OTOH, is the epitome of a great free-agent signing.
 

nbwingsfan

Registered User
Dec 13, 2009
20,714
14,366
To the OP no one should consider Seabrook a UFA signing since he never even reached UFA status

He was an extension a season before even reaching UFA

Hossa on other hand was a big star UFA that worked out and it could be argued Campbell was essential for Hawks gaining credibility back with FA's the summer before

+ Campbell did play big part in 2010 cup win

As already explained, this is also including UFAs to be. Abdelkader didn't make it to UFA either because Detroit decided to sign him for eternity before he made it to UFA. Still an awful contract.
 

gumgum

Registered User
Oct 15, 2017
772
510
Green was a UFA signing for Detroit, right? If so, I think that's been a relatively good one for them.
 

M88K

irreverent
May 24, 2014
9,031
6,989
There are lots. Michael Ryder was a big fish in his time. 3 years, $4m to Boston and was huge in the playoffs.
He was also pretty good for Dallas as a UFA afterwards.
Another solid one was Ribeiro for Dallas. Not a superstar but he earned his paycheque there.
Hamhuis was a good one for Vancouver
Going back a few more years, Selanne was a great one for Anaheim.

Ribeiro wasn't a UFA signing for Dallas but a trade of the great Janne Niinimaa for him.

Edit - Saw someone else already mentioned it
 

LuckyPierre

Registered User
Jul 1, 2010
1,947
585
Clarke MacArthur was Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson UFA replacement minutes after he signed with Detroit.

Until concussions ended his career, he was tremendous all around on the ice and in the room.
 

Helistin

Dustin's equilibrium
Aug 12, 2006
4,222
3,027
Close to you
Gary Roberts worked out a lot especially later in his career. He was also pretty big and signed as an UFA with Toronto.
 

Machinehead

GoAwayKakko
Jan 21, 2011
140,788
108,559
NYC
Ok, now I see the problem. You clearly have your expectations set way too low. Franchise changing would have been if they did what the Blackhawks or Kings did.

Gaborik? Haha. How did he do in the play-offs? Disappeared against washington in 2011 until he prevented Lundqvist from making a save in game in OT in game 4. Cost them game 2 against the Devils in 2012 which turned that series.
He broke his career highs in every category with the Rangers. What would you consider high expectations?
 

CartographerNo611

Registered User
Oct 11, 2014
3,049
2,933
No cups for Chicago without Hossa, even if they are paying for it now he was worth every penny for those championship runs.
 

ThatGuy22

Registered User
Oct 11, 2011
10,502
4,168
Even if I concede on Suter, no way on Parise.

The only problem with Parise has been his ability to stay on the ice.

Parise was brought to MN to put pucks in the net, and since he's signed he scored 25 goals (or paced for it in lockout/back surgery seasons) every season but one (when he was struggling with his back and recurring bouts of strep throat).

Most teams who regret their UFA signings, regret it because the players become liabilities on the ice. That hasn't happened (yet) with Parise, and as we sit today he's on pace to score 40 this year. It'll be really interesting to see how many more season's getting his back fixed buys him.
 

Regal

Registered User
Mar 12, 2010
24,460
13,736
Vancouver
But, has their production warranted the money they were given?

The only UFA, during the salary cap era, who was worth the money was Chara. The rest were grossly overpaid for what they produced. The players who are actually worth that kind of money never become UFA's until they are way past their prime as their teams lock them up beforehand.

I don't see how Suter hasn't been worth the money

...I probably should have continued reading before responding though
 

Flair Hay

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Jun 22, 2010
12,065
4,574
Winnipeg
If we are talking about guys that actually led to team success...

Chara
Hossa

Those two stand alone really as very impactful core stars that were UFA
 

Brodeur

Registered User
Feb 27, 2002
25,775
15,084
San Diego
Bruins actually have a few -
Wheeler
Krug

I think OP asked for proven UFAs in their late 20s/early 30s rather that guys like Wheeler/Krug who were in their early 20s who still had to sign ELCs. Not a ton of risk in ELCs, but certainly more risky to give a big multiyear deal to somebody who's over 30.
 

tfu92

Registered User
Nov 8, 2018
100
108
Hamhuis was the best ufa signing we had in the last 15 years i say. Great cap, term lasted right through his prime, and was crucial in our 2011 run. I still wish he would have stayed instead of vancouver media in typical fashion driving him out.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->