Five best signings from first day of 2026 NHL free agency

Wednesday was the beginning of the NHL's free-agent signing period, and it was a potential minefield for the league's 32 teams and general managers. 

Free agency always carries its share of risks, but this year looked especially bad given the significant increase in the league's salary cap, combined the lack of potential impact talent that was available. 

It was the perfect storm for a lot of regrettable contracts.

There were, however, some strong signings made. 

Let's take a look at five of them.

This only includes players signed in free agency and does not include players still under contract that re-signed with their current teams. (So Ivan Demidov with the Montreal Canadiens and Nico Hischier with the New Jersey Devils are not included here, even if they were great signings.) We are only looking at new deals with players on new teams. 

1. Mats Zuccarello, Los Angeles Kings

Ken Holland had a miserable first offseason as Kings general manager a year ago, but he redeemed himself quite nicely here with a one-year, $1 million contract for Zuccarello. 

Zuccarello is 39 years old, but he can still score like a top-line player when he's healthy.

He's missed at least 12 games in each of the past three seasons, but has averaged a 19-goal, 70-point pace per 82 games during that time. 

Only one Kings played topped 49 points a year ago (Adrian Kempe with 79).

This might be the best bargain deal of the day. Perhaps the entire offseason. 

2. Anders Lee, Utah Mammoth

The Mammoth made a huge trade to get Vincent Trocheck from the New York Rangers, and that is the real headliner for them this offseason.

But do not discount the value that Lee can bring.

He is going to be 36 years old this season, but he is still a great net-front presence and can bring some juice to the power play with the potential for 20-25 goals. Getting him on a $5.2 million salary-cap number, even on a three-year deal, is nice work for the front office that is trying to build a Stanley Cup contender. 

3. Viktor Arvidsson, Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings still have a long way to go this offseason, and they still have the Dylan Larkin trade request looming, but Arvidsson is some nice business for general manager Steve Yzerman.

Especially at the price he got him at ($10 million over two years).

Arvidsson is not a top-line scorer and is not a player that is going to change the long-term course of the Red Wings organization, but he's a good bet to score 20 goals and bring some strong forechecking and scoring depth to a team that needs all of those things. 

4. Matias Maccelli, New York Islanders

This falls under the Mats Zuccarello umbrella of "how did they get this guy for so cheap?"

The Toronto Maple Leafs did not tender a qualifying offer to Maccelli as a restricted free agent, allowing him to reach the open market. The Islanders ended up getting him on a one-year deal for just $2.5 million. 

He's not going to fix all of the Islanders' scoring issues, but he is still only going to be 26 years old when this season begins and has some strong playmaking ability. His 1.19 assists per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play over the past three seasons rank him 72nd out of 517 players who have logged at least 500 minutes of ice-time. There is good value here. 

5. Mason Marchment, San Jose Sharks 

Long-term deals of four years or more are where you really need to start worrying in free agency, and Mason Marchment's five-year, $33.75 million deal is getting close to the danger area. 

Especially given his age (31). 

But that's not as inflated as it could have been under the rising cap, and he is still an outstanding two-way player who brings a depth and possession-driving dimension that the Sharks are badly lacking.