Overview
- Colorado Avalanche, New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes made moves to improve their rosters.
- Teams gave out performance bonuses and shorter-term deals to maintain flexibility under the salary cap.
- Goaltenders received significant pay raises in free agency.
- The Calgary Flames, Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs struggled with contract issues and missed opportunities.
- The New York Islanders committed to questionable long-term deals that could hurt them financially down the road.