History Shows That NHL Teams Can Reap Big Rewards From Late-Summer Signings

When the Vancouver Canucks signed Daniel Sprong to a one-year deal at under $1 million on Sunday, GM Patrik Allvin repeated a party trick that paid off well for him last summer — snagging a quality forward at a good price, well after the dust had settled on free agency.

Last year, Allvin scooped up versatile Pius Suter on Aug. 11 on a two-year deal at $1.6 million per season. Moving as needed between the center and the wing, top six and bottom six, Suter filled roster holes seamlessly. 

Sometimes, he was under the radar in a defensive role, and in the playoffs, he was often on the top line with J.T. Miller. He earned icon status with the goal that advanced the Canucks past the Nashville Predators in Game 6 of Round 1.

As a result of signings like that, Allvin was a GM of the year finalist in 2024. But the Canucks certainly aren’t the only team that has gotten good results from bargain shopping later in the summer.

From 2023, Simon Benoit turned into a regular defenseman for the Toronto Maple Leafs after signing a league-minimum one-year deal on Aug. 28. Three weeks earlier, the Leafs also snapped up Martin Jones, who played 22 games when injuries took their toll on the team in net.

The summer of 2022 was rife with big names who took their time deciding on their chosen destinations. Free agency opened on July 13 that year as the NHL started to shift the calendar back to normal following all the pandemic challenges. But there was an uncharacteristic flurry of major activity in mid-August when Nazem Kadri signed his seven-year with Calgary, Paul Stastny signed in Carolina, and Phil Kessel landed in Vegas.

As we approach the end of July, the crop of 2024 free agents has been pretty well picked over. But here are three teams that have made late-summer signings before and could have good reasons to go to that well again.

The Avalanche still have some big questions up front, as the status of Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin remains uncertain.

In May, Landeskog said he hopes to return to action at some point following his 2023 knee cartilage surgery, but he declined to offer a more detailed timeline. And while Nichushkin's in Stage 3 of the NHL and NHLPA’s Player Assistance Program, he is suspended until at least mid-November. What happens after that is anybody’s guess.

Without those two, the Avalanche are left with an active roster of just 19 players at the moment, according to PuckPedia. They’re thin up front with just 10 forwards and maneuvering with only about $4.7 million in cap space.

So Chris MacFarland will most likely be scouring the bargain bin as the summer wears on. And he’s done it before.

In 2023, he waited until Sept. 12 before signing Tomas Tatar to a one-year deal at $1.5 million. Tatar managed nine points in 27 games, then was flipped to Seattle in mid-December for a fifth-round pick. Even better, MacFarland signed Evan Rodrigues to a one-year deal at $2 million in 2022 and got 39 points out of him before he signed a four-year deal and claimed his first Stanley Cup in Florida.

With $17.6 million in cap space, the Red Wings look like they’re well-positioned to make potential additions. But they also have two star RFAs, Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, who need new deals. Given how the careers of those two are progressing, they’ll only get more expensive if they’re not signed to long-term deals as soon as possible.

As usual, Steve Yzerman was active in the free-agent market around July 1, then snapped up Vladimir Tarasenko on July 3.

There could be more moves to come. Four days before the beginning of the 2023-24 regular season, he turned Zach Aston-Reese’s PTO into a two-way contract, although the winger spent all but three games in Grand Rapids. In 2022, Yzerman's last off-season signing came two weeks after free agency opened: an $800,000 deal for defenseman Robert Hagg.

With tight budget constraints under his old owner, former Arizona Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong has been accustomed to bargain hunting. 

Last year, he brought on unsigned UFA Matt Dumba on a one-year deal at $3.9 million on Aug. 6, then flipped him to the Lightning for an exchange of draft picks at the deadline.

With more financial resources available with Ryan and Ashley Smith footing the bill in Utah, Armstrong has been bold this off-season, particularly with his trades for Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino. 

Don’t discount the prospect of him making another late-summer addition or two to further boost his team's roster before it debuts in front of a brand-new fan base in Salt Lake City this fall. 

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