Friday marks an exciting day in the NHL, as free agency opens up at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT for the Sharks and 29 other clubs around the league.
With the 2019-20 season being interrupted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHL calendar looks quite different this year. The 2020 NHL Draft was completed on Oct. 6 and 7, and free agency gets into gear just a few days later.
Who will end up where? Follow along with all the latest rumors and updates below.
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Friday
10:15 p.m. PT: Corey Crawford no longer calls Chicago home. After 13 seasons with the Blackhawks, Crawford is headed to the New Jersey Devils on a two-year contract.
10:13 p.m. PT: After 10 seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, 30-year-old defenseman Chris Tanev is finalizing a four-year contract with the Calgary Flames, Pierre LeBrun reported.
5:25 p.m. PT: How's this for a shocker? Defenseman Torey Krug reportedly is joining the St. Louis Blues on a seven-year contract worth $6.5 million a season, according to multiple reports.
I guess that means bon voyage for longtime Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo? With defenseman T.J. Brodie signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs, two of the teams most likely to sign Pietrangelo seem to be off the board. The Philadelphia Flyers cleared some salary-cap space earlier this week, and you can't rule out the Colorado Avalanche on a short-term deal.
It only took over nine hours, but the first big domino in free agency officially has fallen.
3:31 p.m. PT: Stefan Noesen officially is returning to the Sharks.
Around the league, things remain quiet on the most intriguing fronts. Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, winger Taylor Hall and blueliner Torey Krug all remain unsigned. Will they put pen to paper before the first day of free agency wraps up?
1:12 p.m. PT: The Calgary Flames reportedly signed goaltender Jacob Markstrom to a long-term deal.
The Flames might not be done yet. Calgary and three other teams reportedly are circling around free-agent defenseman Tyson Barrie.
The Washington Capitals continued signing players from their Metropolitan Division rivals, adding two-time Stanley Cup-winning defenseman Justin Schultz.
12:22 p.m. PT: Ah, dear reader, the NHL news, it never stops.
Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk signed a three-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks, according to multiple reports.
Cam Talbot will fill the Devan Dubnyk-sized hole in the Minnesota Wild's crease after the goaltender was traded to the Sharks.
Defenseman Jack Johnson, meanwhile, will join the New York Rangers, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.
The Nashville Predators filled out their third defense pairing, bringing in Mark Borowiecki and Matt Benning.
11:18 a.m. PT: Free-agent forward Melker Karlsson will not re-sign with the Sharks, according to San Jose Hockey Now's Sheng Peng.
Karlsson, 30, scored 112 points points (60 goals, 52 assists) in six seasons in San Jose. The Swedish forward was a fixture in the Sharks' bottom six and on their penalty kill, but likely would've been traded ahead of the Februrary deadline were it not for a lower-body injury that kept him out of the lineup for five games.
11:01 a.m. PT: The goalie dominoes are starting to fall. Braden Holtby is joining the Vancouver Canucks on a two-year deal, Jacob Markstrom reportedly will leave the Canucks to sign with the Calgary Flames and Anton Khudobin reportedly will remain with the Dallas Stars.
Other deals that are done: Winger Wayne Simmonds signed a one-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs, winger Bobby Ryan and defenseman Jon Merrill joined the Detroit Red Wings on one-year pacts and Kyle Turris joined the Edmonton Oilers on a two-year deal.
NBC Sports Bay Area's Brian Witt highlighted Turris as a potential fit with the Sharks. Now, the center is headed to a division rival.
9:54 a.m. PT: After winning the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning this past season, Carter Verhaeghe is staying in the state but will sign a two-year deal with the Florida Panthers, TSN's Darren Dreger reports.
9:25 a.m. PT: Former top-five draft pick Bobby Ryan will be staying in the Eastern Conference, as he's expected to sign a one-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings on Friday, TSN's Bruce Garrioch and The Athletic's Craig Custance reported.
9:15 a.m. PT: After issuing a powerful statement asking for a trade to either Boston or Vancouver by Friday, Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson says he will be returning to the team next season, Craig Morgan reports.
8:17 a.m. PT: Joe Thornton says that he wants to come back to the NHL next season, but the 40-year-old won't be making his decision any time soon, as he told TSN's Pierre LeBrun on Friday morning.
8:00 a.m. PT: The King has found a new home, as goalie Henrik Lundqvist is expected to sign with the Washington Capitals, TSN's Bob McKenzie reports.
One of the Sharks' primary division rivals has made a deal, as the Vegas Golden Knights have traded Paul Stastny to the Winnipeg Jets for a draft pick and defenseman Carl Dahlstrom, Vegas announced.
