With the NHL free agency period officially underway, many teams will be on the hunt for their missing pieces to add depth, heart, and passion to the core of their lineup. In fact, it may even mean taking a couple of champions away from their home. Nick Bonino, Trevor Daley and Chris Kunitz, who won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins last month, have all signed new deals with the Nashville Predators, Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning, respectively.
Nick Bonino, who has been one of the forefronts of the Penguins’ back-to-back Stanley Cup success stories, inked a four-year deal with the Nashville Predators on Saturday afternoon, worth approximately $16.4 million. In a twist of irony, the Penguins defeated the Predators to win Lord Stanley’s cup on June 11th. It will be quite interesting to see how Peter Laviolette coaches the center who bested his team just a mere couple weeks back.
Meanwhile, Chris Kunitz, a four-time Stanley Cup champion, is trading the steel city for palm trees as he inked a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning worth $2 million.
Trevor Daley, who was one of NHL’s most targeted unrestricted free agents, is leaving Pittsburgh for Detroit. The Red Wings signed the 33-year-old for three years worth $9.5 million.
After two consecutive Stanley Cup victories, it seems that the Penguins are really hoping for a three-peat, and in order to do that, it was time to clean house. The moves of Bonino and Kunitz gives Pittsburgh the chance to get even better. Will we see a third straight banner in the steel city? Only time will tell.
