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NHL Free Agency: Penguins Add Too Many D-Men, Trochek & Domingue to Rangers

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NHL Free agency, Louis Domingue, Pittsburgh Penguins

The high-stakes drama in Pittsburgh was solved approaching midnight on Tuesday as the Pittsburgh Penguins signed center Evgeni Malkin to a four-year deal. The move wiped out the Penguins’ NHL free agent frenzy piggy bank as the team has just $4.9 million in real-world funds and a listed $3.4 million before passing a couple of players through waivers. However, the frenzy is about to begin, as well as salary dumps and glad recipients on the NHL trade market.

The hot stories we’ll be watching are the Philadelphia Flyers and Johnny Gaudreau. Thus far, the Flyers are wistfully kicking tires on Johnny Hockey and desperately trying to clear salary cap space. James van Riemsdyk is the preferred move, but thus far, no takers. Also, how many teams in the Eastern Conference would help the Flyers get better?

That significantly limits the trading pool.

Nazem Kadri will hold court today, soliciting offers, bids, and praise from all comers. The Stanley Cup-winning center had a career year with 87 points, and he’s about to get PAID.

**The Edmonton Oilers signed Evander Kane to a contract. It carries a team-friendly $5.125 million AAV.

**TSN’s Darren Dreger reports the Ottawa Senators are chasing Florida Panthers forward Mackenzie Weegar on the NHL trade market.

**Sportsnet puts Brent Burns front and center on their NHL trade block. Same with Vladimir Tarasenko.

Quick Pittsburgh Penguins Recap:

–Evgeni Malkin signs, 4 years, $24.4 million. Penguins news.

–That fourth year could burn the Penguins. It seems to me that both sides caved to emotion. Malkin’s contract will be a 35+ contract. What that means and the cap ramifications. Penguins analysis.

–While the Penguins and Malkin walked away from the table on Monday, GM Ron Hextall signed Rickard Rakell.

–PHN+: Here are five bargain wingers to watch, including a Lemieux, for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Quick update on former Penguins: Ian Cole goes to Tampa Bay, one year, $3 million. Justin Schultz is getting two years and about $3 million from Seattle. Olli Maatta signed a one-year deal with Detroit.

**Penguins sign journeyman defenseman Xavier Ouellet. He’ll likely spend this coming season in WBS unless needed. Dustin Tokarski, too. Dave Molinari has the story.

**Jan Rutta signs a three-year deal with the Penguins — $2.75M AAV.

NHL Free Agents Live Blog!

**It’s 3:15 p.m. We’re going to call it a day. The Penguins are set to trade a defenseman after signing Jan Rutta to a three-year, $2.75 million deal. Full story. Pittsburgh Penguins trade talk.

**Per McKenzie, Marc Staal to FLA, one year, $750K. Eric Staal to FLA on PTO.

**Tweet of the day — JAGR WATCH!

**Andre Burakovsky is heading to Seattle on a five-year deal, per Chris Johnston.

**Oh boy. Justin Braun and Nic Deslauriers are going to PHI. Jeff Marek said the Deslauriers contract is 4 years, under $2 million per.

**From LeBrun, TSN: Lehkonen extension in Colorado: 5×4.5.

**Haha. Wes from downtown

**Erik Gudbranson signs with the Columbus Blue Jackets. 4×4. WOW, $16 million is a TON for Gudbranson.

**Dallas swipes a big fish off of the Hurricanes line.

**We’re now into the third goalie portion of the afternoon. Edmonton just added Cal Pickard. Your heart is aflutter, I know.

**Darcy Kuemper to the Washington Capitals.  5×5.25. Good deal for the Capitals. Kuemper melted in the playoffs, but he limped to the finish line and you can’t erase silver.

**Still no Johnn Gaudreau news. Will the star wait on the Flyers to clear salary or take an offer close to home with New Jersey or NYI?

** Cross the second name off our five names to watch list. The Kings signed Brendan Lemieux 1x$1.35M. I definitely think the Penguins could have been in on that. They could use some heavy.

**You get eight years. You get eight years. YOU get EIGHT YEARS!

**Pittsburgh Penguins sign third goalie Dustin Tokarski to a one-year, league minimum deal. He’ll take the place of spicy-broccoli Louis Domingue as the third goalie. The Penguins can hide his salary in the AHL without a cap penalty.

**Mikhail Sergachev signed an eight-year extension with Tampa Bay Lightning at $8.5M AAV.

**Toronto is collecting grinders. The Leafs signed Adam Gaudette to a one-year deal worth $750,000.

**Anaheim Ducks signed Frank Vatrano. 3x$3.65M. The Penguins only play Vatrano twice this season. That will limit Vatrano’s goal production.

**Rangers signed backup goalie Jaroslav Halak. 1×1.55. Ouch. Halak looked toasted in Boston.

**Per Chris Johnston, Patrik Allvin, and the Vancouver Canucks added some grit. Ilya Mikheyev agrees to a four-year deal at $4.75M AAV.

**NHL TRADE COMPLETE: Per Pierre LeBrun:  Brent Burns and Lane Pederson for Steven Lorentz, goalie prospect Eetu Makiniemi and a conditional 2023 3rd-round pick. Sharks are retaining 33 percent of Burns contract.

**The Buffalo Sabres got a goalie? Eric Comrie. 2×1.8

Ilya Lyubushkin headed to BUF, too.

**12:41 p.m: Chicago Blackhawks snagged a pair of fading scorers.

**Andrew Copp gets a good deal in Detroit. 5×5.62. That Copp got more money than Trocheck is both surprising and feels a bit wrong. That’s an overpay for Copp. Rare slip by Stevie Y, but he probably needed to overpay after the losing that has taken place over the last five years.

**Cross one name off our Penguins watch list — Nicolas Aube-Kubel signs in Toronto. $1 million.

**Josh Yohe of the Athletic reports the Rangers are close on Vincent Trocheck. That’s a good move on their part. If Trocheck wins the battles against Malkin this coming season, or vice versa, it will definitely shape conversation. Subsequent reports put the deal at 7×5.26.

**Jack Campbell goes to Edmonton. 5×5 deal. Edmonton isn’t playing around. They’re going to be legit contenders against Colorado next season.

**St. Louis going to keep Nick Leddy around for four more years. Four more years. Four more years.

**Toronto Maple Leafs make a goalie move. Former Capitals tendy Ilya Samsonov, 1×1.8. Toronto’s goalie situation is Matt Murray and Samsonov. It’s a good thing they can score.

**Justin Schultz to Seattle, per Friedman. 2×3-ish.

**Daily Faceoff, Frank Seravali reports Ian Cole goes to Tampa Bay, 1×3.

**Friedman reports, CLAUDE GIROUX TO OTTAWA. 3×6.5.  That’s a better deal for the team than paying a 36-year-old center for four years.

**Jeremy Rutherford reports the Blues are expected to snag Thomas Greiss as their backup goalie. He has spent the last two years in Detroit. Follow Rutherford on Twitter. The trade is Ville Husso to Detroit, Greiss to StL.

**Buffalo re-signed Victor Olofsson. 2×4.75

**The Philadelphia Flyers are desperate, but not that desperate to move JVR:

Here we go. We’ll update it as fast as I can type. Players can officially begin signing at noon EST.

**Colorado Avalanche narrowly avoided losing Josh Manson. They came to a 4x$4.5 million deal. Multiple sources reported the deal within moments of each other.

**NHL Trade Alert: New Jersey Devils traded Pavel Zacha to the Boston Bruins. Eric Haula is part of the return. Follow Boston Bruins at Boston Hockey Now.

**Possible trade coming — The Carolina Hurricanes moved Anthony DeAngelo to the Flyers last week. Multiple outlets reporting they’re all over Brent Burns from the San Jose Sharks this AM.

**Dreger says circle the Dallas Stars on Mason Marchment. He was a player we had circled for the Penguins until Malkin signed. The 27-year-old is a late bloomer and ripped 18 goals, 47 points in 54 games — his first full NHL season.

**Darren Helm re-signed for $1.25 million in Colorado.

**Bob McKenzie reporting the Edmonton Oilers are closing in on the long-rumored Connor Brown trade.

**11:36 a.m. The calm before the storm …