NHL Free Agency 2019: Biggest winners and losers from Day 1

Winner: Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars had a very nice day. While they overpaid a tad bit for Joe Pavelski, his three-year deal worth $21 million ($7 million AAV) is very reasonable. He’s still a guy who can contribute and he should make the Stars power play even more lethal. Best of all, Pavelski doesn’t even have a no-movement clause or no-trade clause in his final year. And he just barely avoided turning 35 before July 1, so buying him out, if need be, is much easier.

After splurging, the Stars made some solid bargain signings. At $1.5 million (plus $1.75 million in incentives), Corey Perry‘s a nice signing. He’ll have something to prove and if he’s healthy, he’s another weapon for their power play.

Andrej Sekera, a left-handed defenseman who got bought out, also got a one-year deal with incentives. His AAV is $1.5 million and he can get as much as $500,000 extra in incentives. The Stars needed some defensive depth. If Sekera’s healthy, I think he can help.

I don’t fully agree with them signing three older players, but they did a good job keeping the costs relatively low and I like the guys they signed.

Loser: Minnesota Wild

Much like the Stars, the Minnesota Wild‘s top signing was an older player. Theirs was Mats Zuccarello, who, ironically, is a former Stars forward. The Wild invested five years and $30 million into him. That’s way too long.

Zuccarello turns 32 years old in September. His best years are behind him. The Wild aren’t that close to being Stanley Cup contenders. This is the same team who retooled their roster just a few months ago.

He should help them in the near future, but it’s not hard to see how that contract could end up blowing up in their face. Even if Zuccarello helps them make the playoffs, he won’t be the difference maker that helps them win the Stanley Cup.