Sci-Fi: NHL Free Agent Signings

NHL.com presents fantasy hockey players’ reactions to the biggest free agent signings of the 2024-25 season.

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Guentzel to lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed Jake Guentzel, which should help ease the blow of losing Steven Stamkos to the Nashville Predators in the free agency window and sending defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to the Utah Hokies. Guentzel joins fellow elite talents Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Victor Hedman and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy as a top-30 fantasy option.

Guentzel had 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) in 17 games with the Carolina Hurricanes last season after being acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he was Sidney Crosby’s trusted linemate. Tampa Bay has reached the Stanley Cup playoffs in seven straight seasons, winning Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021, and Guentzel has scored 67 points (38 goals, 29 assists) in 69 games in his postseason career and won a championship with the Penguins in 2017.

Since 2018-19, Guentzel is tied for 14th in the NHL in goals (189) and has two 40-goal seasons in his career. Despite being limited to 67 games last season, Guentzel tied for 20th in even-strength points (55), which should help Tampa Bay, which was in the middle of the pack in 5-on-5 goals (172; tied for 14th).

How far should Guentzel aim in fantasy projects: Top 30 Overall

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Stamkos, Marchessault, Skjee to Predators

The Nashville Predators have significantly boosted their fantasy stock and Stanley Cup future appeal by signing forwards Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault and defenseman Brady Skjei in free agency. While Stamkos may lose some individual value when he leaves the Lightning, the move gives Nashville four players in the top 50 overall fantasy players as Stamkos joins winger Filip Forsberg, defenseman Roman Josi and goalie Jus Saros.

Stamkos comes off a 40-goal season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, marking the seventh time in his NHL career he’s surpassed that difficult milestone. He’s been one of the NHL’s most prolific power-play producers and should help the Predators, who ranked 16th in player advantage (21.6 percent) last season, to improve on that. Stamkos is second among active NHL players in power-play goals (214) behind the Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin (312) and is also fifth on that list in power-play points (422).

Marchessault scored 42 goals last season, a career-high in the NHL, and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Marchessault has been a consistent top-75 fantasy player with solid coverage of goals, points, shots on goal and steals regardless of his lineup position with Vegas over the years, and if he plays on a line with Stamkos, he’ll give the Predators another high-scoring unit to complement last year’s top trio of Forsberg, veteran center Ryan O’Reilly and winger Gustav Nyquist.

Skjei is quietly fifth among NHL defensemen in goals (31) over the past two seasons combined and is tied with new teammate Roman Josi for third in even-strength goals (24) over that span behind Erik Karlsson (29) and Kalle Makar (25). Although Skjei is the clear No. 2 defenseman behind Josi, he is still worth targeting in the latter rounds as a potential fantasy signing for a much-improved Nashville team.

How far Stamkos should target in fantasy drafts: Top 50 Overall

The extent to which Marchessault should aim in fantasy projects: Top 75-100 overall

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From Montour to Kraken

The Seattle Kraken have signed high-scoring defenseman Brandon Montour, boosting their defensive prospects, scoring attack and appeal as they return to playoff contention. Montour joins Seattle, which qualified for the postseason two seasons ago and has another valuable fantasy defenseman in Vince Dunn; the two can either compete for first-string power play or share the ice together in man-advantage situations.

Montour may lose some individual fantasy appeal with the move away from the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers but he still has a high ceiling considering he has two double-digit goal seasons, highlighted by the 2022-23 campaign; he had NHL career highs in goals (16), assists (57), points (73), power-play points (33) and shots on goal (242) that year.

Target range of Montor in fantasy projects: Top 100-120 Overall (Top 20-25 Defenders)

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E. Lindholm to Bruins

The Boston Bruins signed Elias Lindholm, making him a potential return candidate if their No. 1 center lines up with standout winger David Pastrnak and/or Brad Marchand. Lindholm is coming off a low regular season with 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists) in 75 games with the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks, but he showed his high fantasy ceiling in 2021-22, when he scored 82 points (42 goals, 40 assists) mostly on a line with high-scoring wingers Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau when they all played in Calgary.

Lindholm was productive in the postseason for the Canucks, posting 10 points (five goals, five assists) and 25 shots on goal in 13 games. Boston ranked 13th in goals per game (3.21) last season and tied for 11th in fewest shots on goal per game (29.3), two categories Lindholm could help improve.

E. Lindholm’s target range in fantasy projects: Top 125-150 Overall

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Other players with fantastic potential in new teams: Jake DeBrusk, Vancouver; Viktor Arvidsson, EDM; Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi, Chicago; Anthony Duclair, New York Island; Tyler Toffoli, SJS