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Recap: NHL free agency Day 1 updates, analysis

Center Antoine Vermette, left, and left wing Matt Beleskey are two of the more interesting free agents still on the market. (Richard Mackson, USA TODAY Sports)

NHL free agency kicks off at noon (ET) on Wednesday. Our staff will keep you posted throughout the day on the latest signing and rumors. Be sure to check out our top 25 unrestricted free agents, along with five players not worth overpaying.

Wrapping up Day 1 of free agency

From the top-25 free agents Kevin Allen wrote about earlier this week, 12 remain available on the market. When and where they find homes remains to be seen, but a number of teams, including the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins got better after the first day of free agency. Stay tuned for what happens next.

Ducks add center depth

10:45 p.m.: The Anaheim Ducks don’t immediately seem like a team that needs a lot of help at center, with Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler on the roster, but they grabbed Shawn Horcoff on a one-year deal late Wednesday.

While Horcoff’s best skating days may be behind him (he’s 36), he does bring some needed veteran leadership to the Ducks, who lost a great vet in Francois Beauchemin to the Colorado Avalanche earlier in the day.

Williams goes to another contender

10:41 p.m.: Former Los Angeles King Justin Williams has agreed to terms with the Washington Capitals.

Williams will be 34  by the time next season starts, so it makes sense he’s looking to stick with a team that could be in Cup contention next spring, even if it means taking a little less cash.

Vermette heads back to Arizona

8:05 p.m.: He left the Coyotes to join the Chicago Blackhawks on their run to the Stanley Cup, but center Antoine Vermette is now re-signing with Arizona.

This was really the best move for Vermette. While he did net some critical goals for the Blackhawks during their run, it was in Arizona that he had the majority of his success and it’s fitting he return there now.

Winnik returns to Maple Leafs

Signing Daniel Winnik to a two-year deal was an under-the-radar move by the Maple Leafs that could pay solid dividends. The team parted ways with Winnik earlier last season but he was a solid presence for them on the ice and in the locker room. He had 25 points in 58 games with the Buds during the 2014-15 campaign and in the midst of some of the club’s longer, tougher stretches with little success he appeared to be a stabilizing force. Toronto is rebuilding, there’s no question about it, and guys like Winnik are going to be paramount to helping the team find its legs as so much changes around them.

Beleskey to the Bruins

6:44 p.m. Now Beleskey will get to prove if his first 20-goal season was a fluke or a precursor of what’s to come. Boston signed him to a five-year deal with an average of $3.8 million per season. That will turn out to be a steal if he builds on the career season (22 goals, 32 points). Beleskey will likely slot in on the second line.

Another trade

6:25 p.m. The Boston Bruins have acquired Jimmy Hayes from the Florida Panthers for Reilly Smith. The Panthers also get Marc Savard, who has not played since 2010-11 because of concussions. His contract frees the Bruins of a $4.027 million cap hit.

Hayes, a restricted free agent, is a 6-6 forward who recorded 19 goals and 35 points last season. Smith had 13 goals and 40 points. A major motive for this deal appears to be opening up cap space for the Bruins to sign forward Matt Beleskey.

Richards heads to Hockeytown

5:38 p.m. The Detroit Red Wings have added more experience down the middle by signing Brad Richards to a one-year, $3 million deal. Richards recorded 37 points with the Chicago Blackhawks last season, and at this stage of his career, he’s more of a middle-six center with some power-play ability. Richards has lost a step, but he looked rejuvenated last season after his contract with the New York Rangers was bought out.

Leafs’ analytics on display

4:50 p.m. 5-8 forward Mark Arcobello played for four teams last season, tallying 31 points in 77 games. NHL teams tend to overvalue size, and Arcobello has been yo-yoing around the league as a result. He deserves a full-time role and it appears he will get one after signing a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team that values the excellent possession numbers Arcobello helps generate. This is a good stop-gap move for the Leafs as they start their long rebuild.

Red Wings fill massive void

4:12 p.m. Mike Green signed a three-year, $18 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings, adding the offensive-minded right-shooting defenseman they’ve sought for several seasons. Green had 10 goals and 45 points last season with the Washington Capitals. He was USA TODAY Sports columnist Kevin Allen’s top unrestricted free agent.

Eichel not staying in school

3:56 p.m. Jack Eichel, No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NHL draft, has signed his three-year entry-level contract with the Buffalo Sabres. He had 71 points in 40 games in his freshman season at Boston University.

Pens not done

3:55 p.m. After acquiring Phil Kessel to play with Sidney Crosby, the Penguins have signed Russian forward Sergei Plotnikov of Yaroslavl Lokomotiv to play alongside Evgeni Malkin. He’s 25, and he generated 15 goals and 36 points in 56 games last season.

Most interesting players still on the board

3:18 p.m.

1. D, Mike Green

2. C, Antoine Vermette

3. LW, Matt Beleskey

4. D, Cody Franson

5. RW, Martin St. Louis

Ranking the first day signings and trades

1. Pittsburgh Penguins: They won the grand prize by acquiring game-breaker Phil Kessel. This is a win for the NHL too because we Sidney Crosby now has a speedy finisher playing on his wing. Because the Toronto Maple Leafs will pay 15% of Kessel’s salary, the cap hit of $6.8 million is reasonable.

2. Edmonton Oilers: It was clear that the Oilers would turn sharply in a different direction with Peter Chiarelli in charge. The Andrej Sekera signing gives the team the kind of transition defenseman they needed. Did they over-commit and overpay? No more than usual on free agent signing day.

3. Colorado Avalanche: Francois Beauchemin’s signing is a ‘missing piece’ style acquisition. He’s a strong all-around defenseman with a hard shot and a tough playing style. He’s a savvy one-on-on-one defender. He ties Colorado’s defense together. Blake Comeau signing gives the team more depth up front.

4. Calgary Flames:  GM Brad Treliving follows up his flashy acquisition of Doug Hamilton on Friday with a major signing of Michael Frolik today. He also re-upped goalie Karri Ramo. Frolik is a versatile forward who can chip in goals, play a defensive role and kill penalties.

5. Nashville Predators: The resigning of Mike Ribeiro was important. They would not have been able to replace him the free agent marketplace. The signing of Barret Jackman was a smart move by GM David Poile. Jackman gives the Predators’ quality defense just a little more bite.

6. San Jose Sharks: The Sharks’ defense still needs work, but Paul Martin’s signing for four seasons will help. He is a safe, dependable defender who can contribute offensively.

Stalberg joins the Rangers

3:08 p.m.

Penguins early winners

2:53 p.m. The Pittsburgh Penguins are the biggest winners on the opening day of free agent hunting season because they landed the biggest difference-maker in the marketplace.

Goal scorers are an endangered species these days in the NHL, and yet the Penguins acquired one of the more proven scorers to play with Sidney Crosby. The Penguins acquired Phil Kessel from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a multiplayer swap. The Penguins also convinced his former team to pay 15% of Kessel’s salary over the next seven seasons.

Pittsburgh general manager Jim Rutherford has a long history of being able to pull off trades, and this has the potential to be one of his better ones.

Kessel has scored 217 goals over the last seven seasons, which makes him one of the league’s most consistent goal scorers. Kessel and Crosby are both 27.

Read more about it from Kevin Allen.

New GM on Broadway

2:19 p.m.

This move was expected for the last few years. Gorton had been Glen Sather’s assistant but his day-to-day role had become more prominent. Gorton will have his work cut out for him during the next few years. The Rangers have not had a first-round pick since 2012 and, as of now, won’t have one in the next two drafts, either.

Sather has held both positions with the Rangers since June 2000.

Burmistrov back in the NHL

1:35 p.m. Originally drafted by the organization when they were the Atlanta Thrashers, Burmistrov spent three seasons there until he fled for the Kontinental Hockey League in 2013-14. He is back with the Jets on a two-year deal. Burmistrov had 10 goals and 26 points in 53 games with Kazan Ak Bars last season. We may see more KHL players coming to the NHL because of the decline in the value of the ruble. At 23, Burmistrov is presumably a better player than he was before he left two seasons ago.

Semin has suitors

1:23 p.m. It’s trendy to portray Alexander Semin as a player you wouldn’t want on your team under any circumstances. But this is a guy who has scored 238 goals, and once had a 40-goal season. He is a seven-time NHL 20-goal scorer. He netted 22 goals two seasons ago.

If he was willing to play for a $1 million with a bonus structure, wouldn’t a GM have to jump at that?

There are guys earning a $1 million who can’t do as much as Semin can. He will get a NHL job. Count on it.

Flames continue to bolster roster

1:13 p.m. Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving is earning rave reviews for the job he is doing in improving his team for next season.

He has followed up his Dougie Hamilton acquisition by signing Michael Frolik to a five-year contract worth an average of $4.3 million. Frolik is a two-way winger who scored 19 goals last season. He helps a team in a variety of ways, including as a penalty killer.

Kessel dealt to the Penguins

1:10 p.m. The Pittsburgh Penguins have found a top-line winger for center Sidney Crosby and his name is Phil Kessel, a five-time, 30-goal scorer.

The Penguins now have $25.2 million committed to Kessel, Crosby and Evegeni Malkin through 2022. That’s one-third of the $71.4 million cap for this season.

Edmonton gets needed help on defense

12:53 p.m. The Oilers’ biggest issue last season was keeping the puck out of the net as they finished last in allowing 3.37. Andrej Sekera may be the biggest winner among the players, receiving a six-year, $33 million deal. The team has long coveted a skillful defenseman who could move the puck to their skilled forward group. Sekera is that kind of player.

Paul Martin off the board

12:52 p.m. The San  Jose Sharks, desperately needing to revamp their defense, hopes to have accomplished that by signing Martin to a multi-year contract. Martin is known more for his defensive ability, but he is an effective transition defenseman. He passes well and knows how to contribute offensively.

Blackhawks close on signing Tikhonov

12:50 p.m. The Chicago Blackhawks are said to be closing in on signing Viktor Tikhonov, the grandson of the famed Russian coach of the same name. The grandfather was the coach that Herb Brooks and the boys bested at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid.

What you should know about the young Tikhonov: He is the most Americanized Russian player you will ever meet. He grew up in California and also lived in Kentucky because his father was a coach over here.

Second, Tikhonov, 27, is not a premium Russian scorer. If you remember, he played a season for the Coyotes in 2008-09. He’s a good player in the KHL, scoring 55 goals in his past 182 KHL games. He has one goal in 10 games for Russia  at the recent World Championships.

On the market

12:35 p.m. Although Mike Richards is not on the official list of NHL free agents, the league’s deputy commissioner Bill Daly said he is an unrestricted free agent. Buyouts are also not on the list.

Isles get backup goalie Greiss

12:33 p.m. Thomas Greiss played in 20 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins, posting a 2.59 goals-against average and .908 save percentage. He had a .920 save percentage in 2013-14 with the Arizona Coyotes.

Greiss will back up Jaroslav Halak and has the ability to handle more than No. 2-level work should the need arise.

The contract is for two years, $3 million.

Beauchemin to Avalanche

12:25 p.m. Francois Beauchemin, 35, becomes the first major free agent signing by joining the Colorado Avalanche on a three-year deal worth an average of $4.5 million per season.

Beauchemin is a full service defenseman with a big shot and intensity. The Avalanche were looking for a defenseman who could stabilize their group, and Beauchemin is that kind of player.  The Anaheim Ducks probably anticipated losing Beauchemin because they traded for feisty Kevin Bieksa Tuesday.

What if?

12:18 p.m. Five possible deals that would have the most impact on the NHL competitive landscape:

1. Pittsburgh Penguins acquire Phil Kessel to play alongside Sidney Crosby.

2. Detroit Red Wings acquire Kevin Shattenkirk to play in their top pairing.

3. Edmonton Oilers sign Andrej Sekera to be their top defenseman.

4. Buffalo Sabres sign Paul Martin to play on their defense.

5. Boston Bruins acquire Mike Green or Francois Beauchemin.

Wild re-sign Granlund

12:11 p.m. Mikael Granlund, 23, is getting a two-year extension from the Minnesota Wild. He had 39 points last year. A 2010 first-round pick, the hope is he develops into a core piece.

Grunlund’s deal is worth $6 million, according to Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Will any of today’s signings make the list?

11:58 a.m.

Staying frugal

The Rangers can probably be included here, as they have four restricted free agents to sign, headlined by center Derek Stepan. They have about $12.6 million to play with.

Hottest free agents on the board

11:24 a.m. Defenseman Mike Green (Washington Capitals): Several teams looking for puck-moving defensemen.

Center Antoine Vermette (Chicago Blackhawks): There is a shortage of center in the marketplace, and Vermette is a dependable two-way center. He’s good on faceoffs

Defenseman Andrej Sekera (Los Angeles Kings): Multiple suitors. Reports are that the Edmonton Oilers will make a strong push.

Left wing Matt Beleskey (Anaheim Ducks): He scored 22 goals last season, and he will cash in because many teams need offense.

Left wing Michael Frolik (Winnipeg Jets):  This is a smart, two-way forward who had 19 goals last season. He could help a number of teams, including New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Anaheim, New York Islanders.

Defenseman Paul Martin (Pittsburgh Penguins): Many teams are interested in him.

Predators searching for defense

11:13 a.m. The Nashville Predators are looking for a depth defenseman to replace Anton Volchenkov. Barret Jackman would be a good fit, but it would depend upon his asking price. Jackman would also be a good fit for the Chicago Blackhawks to be their No. 5 or No. 6 defenseman.

Ramo re-signs with Flames

11:04 a.m. Goalie Karri Ramo has re-signed with the Calgary Flames. His contract is confirmed at one year for $3.8 million. That means the Flames have three goalies in Ramo, Jonas Hiller and Joni Ortio.

Saad shocked, but excited about trade

10:55 a.m. Brandon Saad, 22, had a conference call with the media and admitted that he was “a little shocked” that he was dealt by the Chicago Blackhawks to the Columbus Blue Jackets last night.

“This is my first time going through this process,” Saad said. “At the same time, it is a business and you expect that things are going to happen. Most guys don’t play their whole career in same place. After that, I’m definitely excited about coming to a good young team in Columbus.”

He won two Stanley Cups and often played with Jonathan Toews in Chicago, and now he is on a team that has only won two playoff games in franchise history. In Columbus, he will likely be Ryan Johansen’s linemate.

Saad said he didn’t know how contract talks were going with the Blue Jackets because he hadn’t talked to his agent yet this morning.

Ribeiro heading back to Nashville

10:31 a.m. Center Mike Ribeiro is expected to re-sign with the Nashville Predators some time before noon today. That makes sense from multiple perspectives.

The Predators gave Ribeiro a second chance last season after he was dropped by the Arizona Coyotes for off-ice behavior. He was a model citizen last season and played well for the Predators. Considering that Ribeiro got his life back on track in Nashville, it made sense for him to want to stay there.

He has a civil suit still hanging over his head, but the Predators are aware of the situation.

Ribeiro’s contract with Nashville is a two-year deal averaging $3.5 million per season.

Trading places

10:31 a.m. Amid all of the free agent signings that may occur today, we could also see a trade or two. The Toronto Maple Leafs are still entertaining offers for a few veterans, including Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf.

The Chicago Blackhawks, who traded Brandon Saad on Tuesday, might still trade Bryan Bickell and/or Patrick Sharp. More than one team has been trying to acquire puck-moving defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. The St. Louis Blues may also move Patrik Berglund or T.J. Oshie.

Given the lack of quality scorers in the free agent marketplace, the trade market might be a better option for those general managers looking to improve their offense.

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