Free agent frenzy for Season 10 was in fact frenzied with many of the top players choosing Northern Conference teams as their new homes.
But Bern made major headlines with the signings of two of the most dangerous forwards available: Patrick Kane and Derek Stepan. It now looks like Bern will have theses top two lines skating for them: Stepan with Mark Stone and James Van Riemsdyk on his wings, followed by Mika Zibanejad centering Kane and Sebastian Aho. The Ineterrail and GM Paja Jansson also signed free agent defensemen Keith Yandle and Ossi Vaananen.
No team had to shuffle the deck more than Madrid, which had to deal with the chaos of five players being awarded arbitration contracts. GM Tony B has waived or bought out 12 players. But the new-look Royals have many experienced EURO vets coming in to play in Cam Atkinson, Tomas Vincour, Milan Gulas, Marcus Kruger, Olivier Roland and Jamie McGinn.
Alexander Ovechkin signed with Stockholm in what is technically the 8th transaction-related move of his career. A top line winger in Bratislava last season, the 36-year-old found himself in another trade, with his negotiating rights going to Dublin, the team that originally drafted him and had him for Season 6. But he refused to sign and instead inked a deal with Mikko M to play with either Ryan Johansen or Jack Eichel as his center.
Staying in the Northern Conference, St. Petersburg reached agreements with defensive stalwart Kevin Shattenkirk, who played in Bern last season, and veteran wingers Corey Perry and Paul Stastny, who spent their entire careers in Paris and Helsinki, respectively.
Another Kharlamov Division team improved its playmaking and puck handling with the signings of Nicklas Backstrom and Jake Gardiner, who are now Helsinki Jokerit, along with fellow free agent signings Patrik Berglund and Ben Bishop.
And their divisional rival Minsk got a good goalie in Simeon Varlamov, 32, who will now earn $10.4 million per year for four years.
Bratislava also went all in on a goalie, signing Frederik Andersen, 30, for $10.2 million for three years plus a player option. Coincidentally, both teams that signed goalies to long-term mega deals met each other in the Cup Finals two seasons ago.
Zurich improved its defense corps with two pen strokes, signing T.J. Brodie and Daniel Fernholm; and another Swiss team, Geneva added a goalie in Ondrej Pavelec, a veteran forward in Mike Richards and defenseman Jamie McBain, who has now been on the roster of all three Swiss teams in three seasons.
Paris gained a forward on each wing in T.J. Oshie and Marius Holtet, who has never gotten prime minutes but seems to have underrated talent.
Sidney Crosby liked playing in Edinburgh and with Jamie Benn enough to re-sign there for the next two seasons at $9 million per season.
Gothenburg signed offensive defenseman T.J. Brennan for a year at $6 million; Dublin added defense depth in the signing of Janne Niskala and Matt Irwin; and Oslo signed Eddie Lack as its backup goalie to Matt Murray.
Noteworthy free agents who remain on the market include wingers Blake Wheeler and Kyle Okposo, defensemen Jared Cowen and Eric Gelinas and goalies Brian Elliott and Henrik Lundquist.
