Winners and losers from Day 1 of NHL free agency

With Day 1 of NHL free agency in the rearview mirror, theScore's handing out winners and losers from all of Friday's action.

Winners

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers went bargain hunting Friday and came up with a pair of nice finds. GM Ken Holland brought back Edmonton, Alberta native Tyler Ennis on a one-year, $1-million contract, and landed bounce-back candidate Kyle Turris on a two-year deal carrying a modest $1.65 million AAV.

Edmonton needed depth scoring, and Ennis potted 16 goals in 70 games last year. He can drive possession while playing down the lineup, but he also has the burst and smarts to not look out of place on a line with Connor McDavid. That’s big at just $1 million.

The Oilers also desperately required a third-line center. In a free-agent market with very few quality pivots, Holland managed to land one with upside in Turris. The 31-year-old is coming off two poor seasons, but the change of scenery could serve him well.

Holland was reportedly involved in the Jacob Markstrom sweepstakes. After seeing the goaltender sign a six-year, $36-million deal with the Calgary Flames, the veteran GM made a smart move backing out.

The Oilers could still use some help on the blue line and in goal, but so far so good for Holland.

St. Louis Blues

The addition of Justin Faulk last year was a head-scratcher from the get-go and was always going to be a problem for the Blues. The seven-year, $45.5-million extension GM Doug Armstrong gave him likely spelled the end of Alex Pietrangelo in St. Louis. Along with Colton Parayko, it didn’t make sense to pay top dollar for three right-handed defensemen. But Armstrong helped rectify his own issue Friday.

Instead of waiting to see if Pietrangelo would return on a deal that slightly handcuffs the team, Armstrong went out and got the next best rearguard on the open market, signing Torey Krug to a seven-year contract with a $6.5-million cap hit. If Armstrong waited on Pietrangelo, he still might've lost his captain and saw Krug go elsewhere. It was smart to strike a deal while he could.

Now, by no means are we saying Krug is better than Pietrangelo - because he's certainly not - but the latter likely would have cost a couple million more per season. And, the fact Krug is left-handed evens out the potential pairings:

That’s still an awfully strong blue line, even without Pietrangelo. Don’t be surprised if Faulk has a bounce-back year now that he doesn’t have to play his off side. He and Krug have played together before on the international stage, too.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas likely had two tasks on his agenda entering free agency: get someone to play with Morgan Rielly and add some sandpaper up front. Dubas accomplished both by signing TJ Brodie to a 4-year, $20-million deal and landing Wayne Simmonds on a 1-year, $1.5-million pact.

The Brodie contract is by no means a bargain, but it’s a fair deal. The Leafs have searched for a legitimate, defensively sound, top-four blue-liner for too long. Brodie fills that need and will immediately be the best partner Rielly has ever had in Toronto. The Leafs’ blue line is no longer a weakness:

Simmonds is not a sexy addition, but it was necessary. Toronto needed some toughness to replace Kyle Clifford's grit, and Simmonds can still provide value on the third or fourth lines at a reasonable price. His leadership presence can’t be overlooked, either.

Losers

Boston Bruins

It wasn't about what the Bruins gained Friday but rather what they lost. Boston let Krug walk, and the star defenseman signed with the Blues - the club that defeated the Bruins in Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup.

Krug made Boston look even worse after signing with St. Louis, saying the Bruins hadn't made him an offer in a year and the contract was "pulled" from him.

Boston could have something else in the works, and the team may ultimately prove to be savvy in the coming days, but the opening day of free agency was definitely not a good one for the reigning Presidents' Trophy winners.

Ottawa Senators

The Senators are trying to get to the cap floor and still have a ways to go, but that's no excuse for the contract they handed Matt Murray. Two days after Ottawa acquired the goaltender in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Senators gave him a four-year, $25-million deal.

It's not so much the term that's an issue. Murray is relatively young at 26 and has two championships on his resume. However, he doesn't deserve a $6.25-million cap hit. That's higher than what Markstrom got from the Calgary Flames ($6 million) and more than Robin Lehner received from the Vegas Golden Knights ($5 million). Markstrom was a UFA and Lehner signed as a pending UFA before the frenzy, but Murray was only an RFA, and the latter puck-stopper was nowhere near the caliber of those counterparts in 2019-20.

Murray lost his starting job with the Penguins this past season while posting a paltry .899 save percentage in 38 games (third-worst in the NHL among goalies who played at least that many contests) and a minus-11.57 goals saved above average that ranked fourth-worst among the same group.

His contract won't hurt the Senators in the short term, but it could cause headaches for the team down the road, especially if Ottawa plans to extend him with lots of other core pieces to potentially secure by that time as well. The deal will undoubtedly affect the entire goalie market going forward, which would affect any future goaltending moves the Senators initiate.

The fans

No one lost more than the fans Friday. Despite the unprecedented circumstances and lack of the usual pre-frenzy UFA negotiating period that encourages more moves, the sheer number of marquee names available on both the free-agent and trade markets had the hockey world expecting a slew of blockbuster transactions.

However, the would-be frenzy was not to be on Day 1. There were far fewer signings over the first six hours this year than on the opening day in 2019:

It took over eight hours for any of the top three UFAs to sign, and Krug was the only one of the trio to make a splash. Pietrangelo and Taylor Hall are presumably mulling their options, and they're well within their right to do so, but the fact they - and many other big names - are still on the board left something to be desired.

Plus, Oliver-Ekman Larsson ultimately chose to remain with the Arizona Coyotes after the Bruins and Vancouver Canucks reportedly tried to land him in what would have been a significant swap.

In terms of free agency, the financial impact of the pandemic undoubtedly played a role in the diminished day as well, but it was still disappointing for those expecting more fireworks.

(Analytics courtesy: Natural Stat Trick)