How was that for a frenzied day of free agent signings? A frenetic flurry of activity to cap off what’s already been an exciting offseason, with a trade-based goalie carousel first helping to redefine the pecking order for fantasy hockey next fall. Now we can comb through a comprehensive list of ex-UFAs (if only for a minute) settling into their new homes ahead of 2024-25, highlighting those who feature most intriguingly within the fantasy scope.
A change of address can go a long way to determining a player’s fantasy outlook — good or bad. Only the cream of the crop are team-proof, in the sense that Jake Guentzel’s final landing place wouldn’t have an impact on his projections a whole lot for the coming season.
But whether the prognosis for fantasy points goes up or down, the offseason frenzy is also just fun. Drawing up to-the-minute depth charts with each move and wondering how a new coach will deploy a new weapon makes for enjoyable analysis.
With that in mind, let’s spin through all the wheeling, dealing, and signing that occurs as the NHL reshapes itself for the 2024-25 campaign. (Note: Some of these are a couple of weeks old, but this space is the first we’ve had to discuss them for the fantasy realm.)
Free agents:
Bolts reel in Guentzel, Preds nab Stamkos/Marchessault
Jake Guentzel, W, Tampa Bay Lightning: Arguably the top prize available in free agency from a fantasy perspective, Guentzel was a smash hit in his brief run with the Carolina Hurricanes last season following a deadline trade out of Pittsburgh. That result went to show that his elite scoring skills can be a fit anywhere there is talent to play with — and the Lightning offer plenty of that up front in Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point. The super trio may not be together all the time at five-on-five, but Guentzel will get his and get a massive boon from the power play — which is something that fell by the wayside in his recent time in Pittsburgh. -Sean Allen
