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NHL Free Agency: Winners and losers from day one

By Dave Stevenson

Mar 21, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; New York Islanders right wing Kyle Okposo (21) skates to the bench after scoring during the second period against the Philadelphia Flyers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 21, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; New York Islanders right wing Kyle Okposo (21) skates to the bench after scoring during the second period against the Philadelphia Flyers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /
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After a very hectic and expensive first day of NHL free agency, who emerged from July 1 as the biggest winners and the losers?

Rarely are the winners of the Stanley Cup and the most active NHL teams on July 1 one and the same. Usually, you’ll find that Stanley Cup winners tend not to spend huge in free agency, especially not on day one in free agency. This year it could be a little bit different. Over $500 million were spent as teams spent like it was Black Friday.

Teams found future stars and gambled on players living up to some pretty ridiculous contracts. There were some surprises, both pleasant and bad. Milan Lucic, Loui Eriksson, Kyle Okposo, and Andrew Ladd each signed humongous deals. Fans even saw the completely unexpected return of Alex Radulov, last seen with the Nashville Predators.

It’s tough to judge who wins on day one. Any team that loses can easily exit the offseason as winners. Those teams that “win” day one of free agency won’t necessarily win in the regular season. That said, someone has to do it. So here are the biggest and winners from an unforgettable first day of NHL free agency.

For more NHL Free Agency coverage, check out our NHL hub page.

Next: Winner: Top Forwards

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