NEW YORK — The spending on NHL free agents started Tuesday morning and hadn’t stopped well into the evening.
And the surprising part was, marquee players such as Marian Hossa, Jaromir Jagr and Mats Sundin still hadn’t decided what team would shower them with riches.
Sundin was reportedly offered a two-year contract from the Canucks worth $20 million, a deal that would make the Maple Leafs captain the league’s highest-paid player.
“Shocked. I think that word says enough,” Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said of the free-flowing cash.
The Devils started the free-agent shopping season by re-signing forward Jay Pandolfo and defenseman Bryce Salvador. They closed opening day by bringing back two players who got away, centers Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik.
The biggest moves were made by the Blackhawks, who landed top defenseman Brian Campbell with an eight-year, $57.12 million deal, and goalie Cristobal Huet with a four-year, $22.5 million contract.
With the salary cap rising to $56.7 million for next season and the minimum jumping to $40.7 million, teams had lots of money to spend.
“I wish I was a player,” Blackhawks general manager Dale Tallon said. “On July 1, you always overpay.”
The other big defensemen to reach deals were Michal Rozsival and Wade Redden, who both signed with the Rangers. Rozsival returned to the Rangers, where he spent the past three seasons, for a four-year, $20 million deal. Redden left the Senators by signing a six-year contract worth $6.5 million per season.
Defenseman Mike Commodore said goodbye to the Senators, too, and signed a five-year, $18.75 million deal with the Blue Jackets. Forward Cory Stillman, who went with him to Ottawa from Carolina at the trade deadline, found a new home with the Panthers.
Olie Kolzig left the nation’s capital after 16 seasons and signed a one-year contract with the Lightning, while fellow goalie Curtis Joseph returned to the Maple Leafs.
In other moves:
• The Red Wings signed defenseman Brad Stuart to a four-year contract and goalie Ty Conklin to a one-year deal.
• The Capitals retained the league’s highest-scoring defenseman, Mike Green, with a four-year, $21 million contract.
• The Islanders signed defenseman Mark Streit to a five-year, $20.5 million deal.
• Anaheim signed Corey Perry, its second-leading scorer from last season, to a five-year, $26.6 million contract.
• Tampa Bay signed wingers Radim Vrbata and Adam Hall.
• The Coyotes signed forward Todd Fedoruk.
