NHL free agency opens with teams securing their own, with Hischier signing extension with Devils

A weak free-agent pool has NHL teams turning to the trade route and also securing their own players to long-term extensions, in developments that became evident as the market opened on Wednesday.

New Jersey locked up captain Nico Hischier long term, signing the Swiss center to a five-year extension worth $58.5 million with an annual cap hit of $11.7 million from 2027 through 2032.

“When I took this job, I knew that Nico was one of the core pieces that I definitely wanted as part of our future,” new Devils GM Sunny Mehta said. “The way he plays the game, his leadership, and selflessness are qualities we value for this team. We all look forward to him leading this franchise, on and off the ice, for years to come.”

Montreal agreed to re-sign Ivan Demidov to an eight-year, $73 million contract after the 20-year-old Russian forward led all NHL rookies with 62 points (19 goals, 43 assists) last season.

As for free agency, the Los Angeles Kings were signing forwards Erik Haula and Mats Zuccarello. Haula agreed to a two-year, $7.2 million contract, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. Zuccarello’s contract is worth $1 million in base salary plus bonuses, according to another person with knowledge of that agreement.

Chicago is signing veteran defenseman Ian Cole for next season at $4.75 million, according to a third person, also with knowledge of the deal. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contracts had not been announced.

On the trade front, Pittsburgh acquired 24-year-old forward Nick Robertson from Toronto for a 2028 fourth-round draft pick. Robertson has six seasons of NHL experience and had career-highs with 16 goals and 32 points in 78 games last season.

Nashville acquired pending restricted free agent forward Mavrik Bourque from Dallas. The Predators sent a 2027 second- and a 2028 third-round pick to the Stars for Bourque and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin.

“Mavrik Bourque is a quality, two-way player who will fit perfectly with what we are trying to build here in Nashville,” general manager Chris MacFarland said. “At just 24 years old, his age and style of play fits in with the type of players we are looking to bring in to help make us better. In addition, Ilya Lyubushkin is a veteran defenseman with significant experience who can log minutes and be a physical presence in our own end.”

Dallas clearing salary cap space could allow the team to sign Jason Robertson, another restricted free agent who’s ticketed for a long-term, lucrative contract. Robertson turns 27 this month and led the Stars in scoring with 96 points on 45 goals and 51 assists last season.

The Florida Panthers have been active this week, trading for goalies Jacob Markstrom and Akira Schmid and sending A.J. Greer’s rights to Anaheim to bring back rugged defenseman Radko Gudas. He signed six-year deal worth $1.5 million annually for a total of $9 million.

“I have good news: I’m coming back to Florida and I’m bringing my dad with me,” Gudas’ daughter, Tynka, said in a video announcing the move. The 36-year-old Gudas played there for three seasons from 2020-23.

Gudas is the second player who was a captain this past season to join Florida in recent weeks. Brady Tkachuk, Matthew’s brother, was traded to the Panthers last month after wearing the “C” in Ottawa.

In other moves:

— Philadelphia rewarded goaltender Dan Vladar for his breakout season by signing him to a five-year extension worth $27.5 million. The $5.5 million average salary kicks in for the 2027-28 season and through 2031-32.

— The Buffalo Sabres signed newly acquired defenseman Olen Zellweger to a three-year, $9.3 million contract. Zellweger was a pending restricted free agent and acquired in a trade with Anaheim.

— Ottawa re-signed pesky forward Nick Cousins to a two-year contract worth $3.18 million.

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AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

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