It's time to put some ink to paper.
NHL free agency is set to begin at noon ET Saturday, as free agents are open to sign with any team of their choosing.
Admittedly, this free agent class is nothing to get overly excited about. While there are notable names available, a majority of them are older, veteran guys at this point.
Still, if clubs are looking to improve, there are plenty of depth players on the market looking for new deals.
MORE: Seven bold predictions for the 2023 NHL offseason
The Sporting News is grading all of the biggest signings in NHL free agency.
NHL free agency grades 2023
Dmitry Orlov signs two-year contract with Hurricanes
- Contract: 2 x $7.75 million
- Grade: B+
The top free agent defenseman is headed to Raleigh. The Hurricanes sign Dmitry Orlov to a two-year contract with a $7.75 million AAV. That cap hit definitely will raise some eyebrows, considering Orlov is a top-four defenseman, but by no means a No. 1 blue liner. The good news for Carolina is that it's a short-term deal. The Russian undoubtedly improves the Canes' back end, giving them a puck-moving defenseman to join the likes of Brent Burns, Jaccob Slavin and Brady Skjei on the top two pairings.
Ryan O'Reilly signs four-year deal with Predators
- Contract: 4 x $4.5 million
- Grade: A
One of the most coveted players on the market is headed to the Music City. Ryan O'Reilly signs a four-year, $18 million deal with the Predators, carrying an AAV of $4.5 million. It gives the team the center depth it desperately needed after trading Ryan Johansen and buying out Matt Duchene. O'Reilly is one of the best two-way centers in the league, and among the NHL's elite in the faceoff dot. At $4.5 million a year, that's a great deal for Nashville.
Matt Duchene signs one-year deal with Stars
- Contract: 1 x $3 million
- Grade: A
Duchene is staying in the Central Division. After he was bought out by the Predators before the start of free agency, the center is signing a one-year deal with the Stars for $3 million. There are certainly some consistency problems with Duchene's game, but he is still a speedy playmaker who can help out a team's top-six. With Dallas' top heavy forward group, Duchene should be able to carve out a middle-six role, either at center or on the wing.
Tristan Jarry re-signs for five years with the Penguins
- Contract: 4 x $6.25 million
- Grade: C
Jarry and the Penguins aren't breaking up after all. Even with new GM Kyle Dubas, the Pens are electing to run it back with the 28-year-old rather than trade for a different starter. Pittsburgh re-signed their starting goaltender to a five-year contract that carries a $5.375 million cap hit per year. Jarry is a fine goaltender when healthy, but injuries limited his availability last season, making it a bit of a riskier signing.
Alex Killorn signs four-year contract with Ducks
- Contract: 4 x $6.25 million
- Grade: C+
The Ducks have a ton of young forwards to build around. After adding veterans Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano last year, Anaheim signed another older winger, this time in Alex Killorn. The former Lightning wing inked a four-year, $25 million contract with an AAV of $6.25 million. Killorn is a big-body forward with a plethora of playoff experience, but a $6.25 million cap hit is on the high side.
Max Pacioretty signs one-year deal with Capitals
- Contract: 1 x $2 million
- Grade: A+
There was no free agent whose next contract I was more intrigued by than Max Pacioretty. Coming off two Achilles injuries, the sniping winger landed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Capitals. He can earn another $2 million in potential bonuses. When Pacioretty is healthy, he is one of the best scoring wings in the league. It's a low-risk, high-reward signing for the Caps, who were aiming to bolster their top-six in free agency.
Frederik Andersen re-signs for two years with Hurricanes
- Contract: 2 x $3.4 million
- Grade: B
The Hurricanes not only bring back Antti Raanta, but also re-sign Frederik Andersen on a two-year deal. Bringing both back doesn't make a ton of sense with Pyotr Kochetkov waiting in the system, but Andersen-Raanta is a proven duo. Andersen has dealt with injury issues, but when healthy, he's a borderline top-10 goalie in the league.
Joonas Korpisalo signs five-year deal with Senators
- Contract: 5 x $4 million
- Grade: C
The Senators wanted a goaltender. Now they have one. The club signs goalie Joonas Korpisalo to a five-year, $20 million deal with an AAV of $4 million a year. The length immediately stands out, as five years is quite the tenure to hand out to a 29 year old who hasn't been a bonafide No. 1 goalie in a couple of seasons and has dealt with recent injuries. Still, he'll provide a solid 1A in a tandem with Anton Forsberg next season.
Blake Wheeler signs one-year contract with Rangers
- Contract: 1 x $800,000
- Grade: A
Blake Wheeler lands in the Big Apple after his buyout with the Jets. The big winger is still among the best passers in the league, but his production has taken a hit over the years. He also isn't exactly fleet of foot, but at $800,000, it's a low-risk, high-reward signing for New York.
J.T. Compher signs five-year contract with Red Wings
- Contract: 5 x $5.1 million
- Grade: C+
This feels like the Red Wings are reaching again to find the team's No. 2 center. A year after giving Andrew Copp a five-year contract with an AAV of $5.625 million, Detroit makes a similar signing in 2023, inking J.T. Compher to a five-year deal with an AAV of $5.1 million. Steve Yzerman seems to be throwing another dart at the board to fill in the spot behind Dylan Larkin on the depth chart, but Compher projects better as a third-line center on a contender.
2023 NHL free agents: Tracking top players by position
Here is a look at each position and who the top unrestricted free agents are that could be available to fill that role.
Center
1. Ryan O'Reilly
2. Matt Duchene
3. Patrice Bergeron
4. David Krejci
5. Jonathan Toews
6. Alexander Kerfoot
7. J.T. Compher
8. Evan Rodrigues
9. Nick Bonino
10. Tomas Nosek
Winger
1. Tyler Bertuzzi
2. Vladimir Tarasenko
3. Max Pacioretty
4. Patrick Kane
5. Alex Killorn
6. Max Domi
7. Michael Bunting
8. Jason Zucker
9. Tomas Tatar
10. Gustav Nyquist
Defenseman
1. Dmitry Orlov
2. Matt Dumba
3. Shayne Gostibehere
4. John Klingberg
5. Brian Dumoulin
6. Radko Gudas
7. Ryan Graves
8. Ian Cole
9. Luke Schenn
10. Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Goalie
1. Tristan Jarry
2. Frederik Andersen
3. Joonas Korpisalo
4. Semyon Varlamov
5. Martin Jones