NHL free agency: All the news, rumors and signings on July 1

It’s not as outrageous as the contract Orpik signed because Niskanen is still close to the prime of his career and brings a mobile, puck-moving presence to the Capitals’ blue line as well as an option on the power play. Simply put, Niskanen is better suited for the direction the NHL is headed, and if you’re going to shower a free agent defenseman with a massive contract, you’re better off doing it to a guy like Niskanen. Still, that’s a big investment.

He may never repeat what he did last season offensively, but he’s always been a strong possession player on the blue line in the right role.

For Stralman, it’s a testament to how far his career has come in just a few years, going from a guy that was settling for a tryout contract to a player that was one of the most sought after players in free agency. He’s always been an underappreciated defenseman in the NHL throughout his career because he doesn’t necessarily do the things that get people to notice defensemen. He doesn’t put up a ton of points offensively, and he’s not really known for being a big, physical presence that is going to physically overpower people.

But when he’s on the ice his team flat out plays better than when he’s not, and isn’t that the most important thing? Substance over style.

Things did not get off to a promising start on the first day of free agency.

At one time Orpik may have very well been worth such an investment. But that time has come and gone, and at this point Orpik’s play on the ice is more about the reputation his name still holds and what he did earlier in his career.

But as free agency opened Tuesday, the Wild added some offensive help by signing Thomas Vanek, one of the top available forwards on the market.

Still, Vanek has always been a consistent, reliable scorer during his NHL career, something Minnesota desperately needed. The 30-year-old has scored at least 25 goals in eight of his nine seasons as a pro, with the only one under that number coming in the 2012-13 lockout shortened campaign.

They had cap space to burn and a group of free agents filled with the type of players that you don’t want to throw big money at it.

It’s not a bad deal, and it’s only a $500,000 per year raise over his previous contract. Coming off the type of season he had in Pittsburgh that’s not the worst investment a team could have made in this market.

In Cammalleri, they’re getting a player with a knack for scoring goals and some much-needed skill in the lineup.

The deal comes less than a week after the Sabres used their last remaining compliance buyout on Ehrhoff after signing him to a 10-year contract three years ago.

The Penguins’ lack of depth at forward has been a major focal point over the past year, and especially after the trade of James Neal to Nashville, but with Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik leaving in free agency and Rob Scuderi turning into a boat anchor almost over night, they had some holes to fill on the blue line as well.

The clock is ticking, and free agency is nearly here. We’re within an hour of the noon start time, and the floodgates are opening up and more rumors are flying in as teams make last-ditch efforts to keep their top players off the market before it’s too late.

Spezza is in the final year of a contract that pays him $7 million per season.

In 75 games for the Senators last season, Spezza scored 23 goals to go with 43 assists.

The moves will come in fast and furious when noon hits on Tuesday and free agency officially opens. But with teams already allowed to talk with soon-to-be free agents ahead of that 12 p.m. ET start time, there are already plenty of rumors and plenty of big names that sound like they’ll soon be on the move.

But in Johansen’s eye, per Portzline, his production puts him ahead of that bridge curve, and wants a longer term and to become an unrestricted free agent when that deal expires.

The Blue Jackets are nearly $20 million under the cap, and Johansen can begin negotiating with other teams when free agency begins on Tuesday.

From Miller’s perspective, this a far cry from joining a contender, which was his main objective when Buffalo was shopping him at the trade deadline. He obviously loses most of that leverage in free agency, and can only really play Vancouver against other potential suitors. At first blush, it also appears Benning has the ship moving in the right direction, which could be an encouraging sign if Miller stills values winning pretty high.

This actually makes a lot of sense from Vancouver’s perspective, even if the team is only looking to buy time for Demko. The Canucks have plenty of cap space to offer Miller a competitive contract, so this one comes in at a solid 7.5 on the likelihood scale.