NHL free agency tracker: Instant grades and analysis

Bruins give Matt Grzelcyk a well-deserved extension

The Boston Bruins shored up their blueline on June 15 by signing defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to a two-year extension worth $1.4 million per year. It’s a well-deserved one, as he was huge for them during the 2017-18 season. In 61 games, Grzelcyk put up 15 points in a third-pairing role.

At 24 years old, he still has some upside. Grzelcyk has proven to be at worst a capable third pairing defenseman. $1.4 million per year is quite reasonable for what he brings to the table. Unlike most of his third-pairing brethren, Grzelcyk doesn’t get much special teams time. But this is more of a compliment to the depth of the Bruins than a concern for him moving forward. Expect Grzelcyk to be a power-play option for Boston next season.

Grade: B. Not a sexy signing, but a solid one.

Blackhawks re-sign a couple of RFAs

The Chicago Blackhawks were busy on Friday, re-signing both Vinnie Hinostroza ($1.5 million AAV) and John Hayden ($750,000 AAV) to two-year deals. Of those two, the former is more NHL ready. In a bottom-six role, Hinostroza has 39 points in his last 99 games, including 25 points in 50 games last year.

Hinostroza is a guy who can contribute on the power-play as well. In about 78 minutes on the man advantage last season, he averaged 4.2 points per hour.

Meanwhile, Hayden has proven to be a quality depth forward and did well in limited action last season. He put up 13 points in 47 games while averaging just over 10 minutes per game.

Grades: Hinostroza gets an A- while Hayden gets a B-. 

Lightning replace Peter Budaj with Eddie Pasquale

This is a relatively minor move, but it’s still a meaningful one. The Lightning lost some goaltending depth when they traded Peter Budaj to the Los Angeles Kings. Pasquale should give them another capable option if Andrei Vasilevskiy goes down.

Grade: C. Not a sexy move, but a necessary one.