The Toronto Maple Leafs and free-agent defenseman Chris Tanev agreed to a six-year contract worth an average annual value of $4.5 million, the team announced Monday.

The contract includes a full no-movement clause.

Toronto acquired Tanev's signing rights from the Dallas Stars on Saturday for a 2026 seventh-round pick and restricted free-agent forward Max Ellis.

The 34-year-old played 75 games last season split between the Stars and Calgary Flames, recording 19 points and a plus-24 rating. He played 19:41 per contest.

Tanev's role increased in the postseason, where he averaged 22:18 in the Stars' 19 playoff games.

The rearguard is highly regarded for his defensive ability and fearlessness. Tanev's 6.6 defensive goals above replacement ranked 14th among all NHL defenders, per Evolving-Hockey, which would've led the Maple Leafs. His 207 blocks were third league-wide and 48 more than the top Toronto player, TJ Brodie.

Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving signed Tanev as a free agent with the Flames in October 2020.

Toronto has $7.6 million of cap space, according to CapFriendly.

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The New Jersey Devils are set to sign free-agent defenseman Brett Pesce to a six-year contract that carries an average annual value in the $5.5-million range, according to The Athletic's Chris Johnston.

New Jersey is also inking blue-liner Brenden Dillon on a three-year agreement worth around $4 million annually, reports Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.

Pesce was one of the most coveted blue-liners on the open market this summer. The 29-year-old is known for a sturdy defensive game and gives the Devils a dependable top-four option on the right side.

Dillon suited up for the Winnipeg Jets the last three seasons and registered 20 points in 77 games in 2023-24. He also played for the Washington Capitals, Dallas Stars, and San Jose Sharks across a 13-year career.

The Devils have reworked their blue line early in the offseason, dealing John Marino to Utah while acquiring Johnathan Kovacevic from the Montreal Canadiens.

New Jersey also acquired goaltender Jacob Markstrom in June and hired Sheldon Keefe as its new head coach.

The Devils entered the signing period with approximately $19 million available to spend, per CapFriendly.

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The Edmonton Oilers re-signed forward Connor Brown to a one-year contract worth $1 million, the team announced Monday.

Brown, 30, tallied four goals and 12 points in 71 regular-season games. He found some of his past form in the postseason, recording two goals and six points in 19 playoff contests.

The Oilers inked Brown to a one-year contract last summer with a $775,000 cap hit. The deal had $3.225 million in performance bonuses, which Brown hit after playing 10 games.

Brown played only four games in 2022-23 after sustaining a torn ACL.

Edmonton had $13 million in cap space before the signing, according to CapFriendly.

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