It was a busy day in the NHL on Tuesday when free agency officially began at noon ET. While the New Jersey Devils added Connor Brown and Evgenii Dadonov to their roster, they saw numerous former players on the move.
After not being extended a qualifying offer from the Devils, forward Nolan Foote signed with the Florida Panthers as an unrestricted free agent. The 24-year-old spent the majority of the 2024-25 season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Utica Comets. There, he collected 39 points (18 goals, 21 assists), which was the third-most on the team behind Ryan Schmelzer and Brian Halonen. With the Devils, he appeared in seven games, earning one assist.
Veteran center Justin Dowling is taking his game across the Hudson River to suit up for the New York Rangers for the next two seasons. It’s a one-way deal the first year, two-way the second year. During the first season, Dowling will earn $775,000, and he will make $775,000 during the second season, when he reaches the NHL level, with a minimum of $450,000. With the Devils, the 34-year-old appeared in a single-season high of 52 games.
Goaltender Vitek Vanecek signed a one-year contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $1.5 million with the Utah Mammoth. The 29-year-old was a member of the Florida Panthers and hoisted the Stanley Cup for the first time in his career. He split the regular season between the Panthers and San Jose Sharks, earning a 5-14-4 record, 3.62 goals-against average, and .884 save percentage.
We have signed goaltender Vitek Vaněček to a one-year contract. pic.twitter.com/aogrHyyYix
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) July 1, 2025
Speaking of goaltenders, former Devils netminder Kaapo Kahkonen signed a one-year deal with the Montreal Canadiens for the 2025-26 season. The 28-year-old appeared in one game in the NHL last season with the Colorado Avalanche. He spent the majority of the time in the American Hockey League (AHL) split between the Colorado Eagles, Manitoba Moose, and Charlotte Checkers, where he put up a 14-20-1-1 record with a 2.91 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage.
Tuesday afternoon marked a reunion in New York as the Buffalo Sabres, coached by Lindy Ruff, signed Mason Geertsen to a two-year, two-way contract worth an average annual value of $775,000. He has played 25 career NHL games, all as a member of the Devils in the 2021-22 campaign under Ruff.
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