A flurry of trades and free agent signings this offseason relocated a host of a familiar faces to new places for the 2021-22 season. Here is where some of the bigger names landed (listed alphabetically):
Frederik Andersen, G, Carolina Hurricanes
Andersen signed a two-year contract with the Hurricanes on July 28 after five seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Antti Raanta signed a two-year contract the same day after four seasons with the Arizona Coyotes to form Carolina’s new goalie tandem.
Zdeno Chara, D, New York Islanders
Chara returns to the Islanders, who selected him in the third round (No. 56) of the 1996 NHL Draft, to play his 24th NHL season after agreeing to a one-year contract Sept. 18. The 44-year-old, who played for the Washington Capitals last season, is fifth in the League among defensemen in games (1,608) and can pass Chris Chelios (1,651) for first this season.
Blake Coleman, F, Calgary Flames
Coleman signed a six-year contract with Calgary on July 28 after winning the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning the past two seasons. Coleman scored 31 points (14 goals, 17 assists) in 55 regular-season games in 2020-21.
Ryan Ellis, D, Philadelphia Flyers
Ellis was acquired in a trade July 17 to play alongside Ivan Provorov on the Flyers top defense pair after 10 seasons with the Nashville Predators. Rasmus Ristolainen also joins Philadelphia’s revamped defense after being acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres on July 23.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D, Vancouver Canucks
Ekman-Larsson played 11 seasons for the Coyotes, including the past three as their captain. He’ll begin a new chapter with Vancouver after being acquired with forward Conor Garland in a trade with Arizona on July 23.
Marc-Andre Fleury, G, Chicago Blackhawks
Fleury was the face of the Vegas Golden Knights for four seasons before being traded to Chicago on July 27. The 36-year-old won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goalie for the first time last season, when he was 26-10-0 with a 1.98 goals-against average, .928 save percentage and six shutouts.
Mark Giordano, D, Seattle Kraken
The Calgary Flames captain for the past eight seasons now holds that title for the Kraken, who selected him in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. Others selected by Seattle included defensemen Vince Dunn (St. Louis Blues) and Adam Larsson (Edmonton Oilers), and forwards Yanni Gourde (Lightning), Jordan Eberle (Islanders) and Joonas Donskoi (Colorado Avalanche).
Barclay Goodrow, F, New York Rangers
The Rangers added grit by acquiring Goodrow’s rights from the Lightning on July 17 and then signing him to a six-year-contract July 22. Goodrow teamed with Gourde and Coleman on a relentless third line that helped Tampa Bay win the Cup the past two seasons.
Philipp Grubauer, G, Seattle Kraken
The Kraken pounced when the Avalanche couldn’t re-sign Grubauer and signed him to a six-year contract July 28. Grubauer was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy last season when he was 30-9-1 with a 1.95 GAA, .922 save percentage and seven shutouts.
Dougie Hamilton, D, New Jersey Devils
Hamilton signed a seven-year contract July 28 to become a cornerstone of the rebuilding Devils defense after the Hurricanes couldn’t re-sign him. The additions of defenseman Ryan Graves (trade with Colorado on July 15) and goalie Jonathan Bernier (signed two-year contract July 28) should also help New Jersey.
Zach Hyman, F, Edmonton Oilers
Hyman went from riding shotgun on Auston Matthews‘ line with Toronto to skating on Connor McDavid‘s line with Edmonton by signing a seven-year contract July 28.
Seth Jones, D, Chicago Blackhawks
A season from unrestricted free agency, Jones declined to sign an extension with the Columbus Blue Jackets and was traded to the Blackhawks on July 23. Chicago signed him to an eight-year extension July 28.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi, F, Carolina Hurricanes
The Montreal Canadiens announced Sept. 4 that they wouldn’t match the one-year, $6.1 million offer sheet tendered by the Hurricanes to Kotkaniemi, who was a restricted free agent.
Duncan Keith, D, Edmonton Oilers
Keith wanted to live closer to his son in Penticton, British Columbia, so the Blackhawks traded the three-time Stanley Cup winner to the Oilers on July 12. In 16 seasons with Chicago, Keith won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman twice (2010, 2014) and the 2015 Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Darcy Kuemper, G, Colorado Avalanche
Kuemper replaces Grubauer as the Avalanche’s No. 1 goalie after being acquired in a trade with the Coyotes on July 28. In four seasons with Arizona, Kuemper was 55-48-15 with a 2.43 GAA, .920 save percentage and 10 shutouts.
Zach Parise, F, New York Islanders
Parise brings a familiar name to the Islanders after agreeing to a one-year contact Sept. 10; his father, J.P. Parise, played for New York for four seasons from 1975-78. Parise was an unrestricted free agent after the Minnesota Wild bought out the remaining four seasons of his 13-year contract July 13.
Corey Perry, F, Tampa Bay Lightning
After losing to the Lightning in the 2020 Stanley Cup Final with the Dallas Stars and the 2021 Cup Final with the Canadiens, Perry signed a two-year contract with Tampa Bay on July 29.
Sam Reinhart, F, Florida Panthers
Reinhart signed a three-year contract with the Panthers on Aug. 11 after being acquired in a trade with the Sabres on July 24. In seven seasons with Buffalo, Reinhart scored 295 points (134 goals, 161 assists) in 454 games.
Ryan Suter, D, Dallas Stars
Suter signed a four-year contract July 29 to bolster a Stars defense that already included Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell and John Klingberg. Suter was an unrestricted free agent after the Wild bought out the remaining four seasons of his 13-year contact on July 13.
Joe Thornton, F, Florida Panthers
Thornton continues his quest for the Cup in his 24th NHL season after signing a one-year contract with Florida on Aug. 13. The 42-year-old scored 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 44 games with Toronto last season.