Best 1 Year NHL Contracts Traded Before Deadline

I’m fascinated by the concept of signing a veteran free agent to a one-year contract and selling him prior to the trade deadline for draft picks. Here’s a list of the top 15 such contracts, which are mostly ranked by the size of the bounty that the signing team got coming back in the trade. All these players were at least 26 years old and at least closing in on unrestricted free agency.

1) Cody Franson, 2014/15 Toronto: The Leafs re-signed 27-year-old restricted free agent to a one-year contract for $3.3M and shipped him back to Nashville for a 1^st round pick. He was expected to sign a big free agent contract the next off season but did not.

2) Mike Comrie, 2008/09 Islanders: The Islanders re-signed the 28-year-old to a one-year $4M contract and traded him with Chris Campoli near the deadline to Ottawa for a 1^st round pick. The Senators did not make the playoffs and Comrie did not stay in Ottawa.

3) Ladislav Nagy, 2006/07 Phoenix: The Coyotes re-signed the 27-year-old to a one-year contract for $3M and traded him near the deadline to Dallas for a 1^st round pick. His Stars career lasted 32 games.

4) Patrick Eaves, 2016/17 Dallas: The Stars re-signed the 32-year-old unrestricted free agent to a one-year $1M contract and traded him near the deadline to Anaheim for a 1^st round draft pick.

5) Brad Stuart, 2007/08 LA: The Kings signed the 27-year-old unrestricted free agent to a one-year $2.2M contract and traded him to Detroit near the trade deadline for 2^nd and 4^th round draft picks. The Red Wings won the Stanley Cup a few months later.

6) Jaromir Jagr, 2014/15 New Jersey: He came to New Jersey as a 42-year-old unrestricted free agent on a one-year $3.5M contract and was shipped out of town near the deadline for 2^nd and 3^rd round draft picks.

7) Hall Gill, 2011/12 Montreal: The Habs re-signed the 36-year-old unrestricted free agent to a one-year contract for $2.3M and shipped him off to Nashville near the deadline for Blake Geoffrion and a 2^nd round pick.

8) Dennis Seidenberg, 2009/10 Florida: The Panthers signed the 28-year-old unrestricted free agent to a one-year $2.2M contract and traded him to Boston for a 2^nd round draft pick in December.

9) Jordan Leopold, 2009/10 Florida: The Panthers signed the 29-year-old unrestricted free agent to a one-year $1.8M contract and traded him near the deadline to Pittsburgh for a 2^nd round pick.

10) Jeff Petry, 2014/15 Edmonton: The Oilers re-signed the 26-year-old restricted free agent to a one-year $3.1M contract and then shipped off to Montreal near the deadline for a 2^nd round pick.

11) Andrei Kostitsyn, 2011/12 Montreal: The Habs re-signed the 26-year-old restricted free agent to a one-year contract for $3.25M and traded him near the deadline to Nashville for a 2^nd round pick.

12) Jiri Tlusty, 2014/15 Carolina: The Hurricanes re-signed the 26-year-old restricted free agent to a one-year contract for $2.9M and traded him near the deadline for a 3^rd round pick and a 5^th round pick. This trade did not work out well for the Jets.

13) Thomas Vanek, 2016/17 Detroit: The Red Wings signed the 32-year-old unrestricted free agent to a one-year contract for $2.6M and traded him near the deadline for a 3^rd round pick.

14) Marek Zidlicky, 2014/15 New Jersey: The Devils re-signed the 37-year-old unrestricted free agent to a one-year contract for $3M and traded him to the Red Wings near the trade deadline for a 3^rd round pick. He played 6 playoff games recording no PTS.

15) Michael Stone, 2016/17 Phoenix: The Coyotes re-signed the 26-year-old restricted free agent to a one-year contract for $4M and then shipped him off to Calgary for a 3^rd round pick.