The 26-year-old was a restricted free agent and scheduled for an arbitration hearing on July 20. With an average annual value of $4.4 million, his new contract makes him the team's highest-paid netminder.
Binnington enjoyed one of the best rookie campaigns from a goalie in NHL history during the 2018-19 season. The Ontario native joined the struggling Blues on Dec. 16 and posted a 24-5-1 regular-season record with a 1.89 goals against average and a .927 save percentage, lifting the club from last place in the NHL to the third seed in the Central Division.
In the playoffs, Binnington went 16-10 with a 2.46 goals against average and a .914 save percentage, guiding the Blues to the first championship in franchise history. He also became the first rookie goalie to register 16 wins in a single postseason.
"I'm happy to get this deal done with the St. Louis Blues," Binnington said. "To the city of St. Louis, thank you for welcoming me in and trusting me to do me. I'm excited and motivated to keep doing my job and keep bringing success to the St. Louis Blues organization."
Binnington was nominated for the 2019 Calder Memorial Trophy and named to the NHL All-Rookie Team.
Laughton was a restricted free agent and had an arbitration hearing scheduled for July 30.
The 25-year-old tallied career highs in goals (12) and points (32) while finishing third on the Flyers with 146 hits in 82 contests last season. He also played a major role on the penalty kill, logging the second-most shorthanded ice time per game among forwards.
Laughton was selected by Philadelphia with the 20th overall pick in the 2012 draft and has recorded 79 points in 272 career games.
Fabbri, who was a restricted free agent, has been plagued by injuries over the last two seasons. He returned in 2018-19 after a pair of knee surgeries and separated his shoulder in December.
The 23-year-old collected six points in 32 regular-season contests for the Blues this past campaign before scoring one goal in 10 playoff games en route to the Stanley Cup championship.
Fabbri racked up 15 points across 20 postseason contests as a rookie in 2016.
He's spent all three of his NHL seasons with St. Louis, which drafted him 21st overall in 2014.
However, the meeting doesn't necessarily mean an offer will come to fruition. Portzline sees no indication that Marner wants to leave Toronto, and the Jackets are convinced the Maple Leafs would match any offer sheet, perhaps by trading fellow young forward William Nylander, he added.
Nylander inked a six-year, $45-million contract on Dec. 1, 2018 with the Leafs after a well-documented holdout. He struggled after rejoining the team, tallying 27 points in 54 games.
Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said previously it's not a foregone conclusion he'd match any offer sheet for Marner.
The Maple Leafs have $3.8 million in projected cap space, according to CapFriendly, but that'll increase by $5.3 million when Nathan Horton is placed on long-term injured reserve. They could add slightly more cap space by optioning players to the minors, as they currently have 23 on their roster.
Regardless, the Maple Leafs would be hard-pressed to match an offer sheet exceeding $10.6 million. The Blue Jackets have the required draft pick capital to submit an offer sheet with a cap hit either below $1,395,053 or above $10,568,589. An offer sheet with a cap hit exceeding the latter would cause the club to forfeit four of its next five first-round picks.
The Blue Jackets have a projected $15.8 million in cap space but have some internal housekeeping to take care of; fellow RFA Zach Werenski remains without a contract, while Pierre-Luc Dubois and Josh Anderson are also due for raises next summer.
Marner would undoubtedly reinvigorate a fan base that just watched Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene, and Sergei Bobrovsky walk as free agents on July 1. The 22-year-old winger tallied a career-high 94 points for the Leafs in 2018-19.
The club's former top prospect was chosen 14th overall by Dallas in the 2014 draft. As a right-handed, mobile blue-liner with offensive instincts, Honka has many qualities teams covet, but it appears he's fallen out of favor with the Stars.
In 87 career NHL games, the 23-year-old has yet to leave his mark, tallying just 13 points. He was scratched for the final 35 games of the 2018-19 regular season and didn't appear in the playoffs. He would have to pass through waivers to be sent to the minors.
Honka has been productive in the AHL, tallying 108 points in 201 career games with the Texas Stars.
Most marquee names in 2019 unrestricted free agency are off the board, so the majority of offseason excitement is behind us, aside from potential trades, offer sheets, and big-ticket RFA signings.
Without an idea of when said transactions may come, the hockey world doesn't have much to cling to at the moment. With that in mind, we can look ahead to next year, where a deep class of UFAs could make for a very interesting July 1.
Naturally, these players are eligible to sign extensions at any time, and some won't make it to the open market. Still, we can dream of a world where such a star-studded group of players find themselves on the move, so let's dive in.
(Player's age as of July 1, 2020)
Forwards
Taylor Hall, LW, Devils Age: 28 2019-20 cap hit: $6 million
Hall is the crown jewel of the 2020 class and will have no shortage of suitors if he hits the market. The former MVP made it clear that his priority at this stage of his career is winning, so if the Devils' big offseason moves don't pay off this upcoming campaign, Hall could be good as gone.
Nicklas Backstrom, C, Capitals Age: 32 2019-20 cap hit: $6.7 million
The Washington Post / The Washington Post / Getty
It's hard to imagine Backstrom anywhere but in Washington feeding Alex Ovechkin one-timers, and it's unlikely the Capitals let him get to next July 1 without an extension. Backstrom is on the back nine of his career but has been so integral to his club's success for so long that it's difficult to imagine the Caps not rewarding him with another lucrative contract.
Mikael Granlund, RW, Predators Age: 28 2019-20 cap hit: $5.75 million
Granlund is a useful middle-six player at both ends of the ice and would surely draw interest from teams looking to bolster their forward group. He could also see a production spike during his contract year, as he may be slotted onto a line alongside Predators newcomer Matt Duchene.
Mike Hoffman, LW, Panthers Age: 30 2019-20 cap hit: $5.187 million
Hoffman is one of the NHL's most underrated snipers and would add goal-scoring punch to any lineup at both even strength and on the power play. Since 2014-15, Hoffman ranks 19th among all players in goals, and that's a fantastic way to earn yourself a hefty payday.
Brayden Schenn, C, Blues Age: 28 2019-20 cap hit: $5.125 million
Centers are always in demand during free agency, and Schenn could be one of the best pivots available next summer. His departure would leave a big hole in the Blues' lineup, so the reigning Cup champs will likely provide him a nice incentive to stay. If he's available, his blend of physicality and offensive touch will attract plenty of bidders.
Chris Kreider, LW, Rangers Age: 29 2019-20 cap hit: $4.625 million
Jared Silber / National Hockey League / Getty
Kreider has a style of play that coaches, general managers, and fans adore. He's essentially a bowling ball on skates, easily capable of potting 20 goals per season, and is useful in all situations. But with the Rangers' influx of young talent on the wings, Kreider is one of the likeliest candidates to hit the open market.
Charlie Coyle, C, Bruins Age: 28 2019-20 cap hit: $3.2 million
Coyle looked like a tremendous fit in Boston after being acquired via trade last season, and the Bruins will probably want to keep him in-house as Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci get older. That said, it wouldn't be surprising if an outside team throws a ton of money at the 6-foot-3, two-way center.
Alex Galchenyuk, C/LW, Penguins Age: 26 2019-20 cap hit: $4.9 million
Galchenyuk is one of the more interesting cases of next summer's crop. Already on his third club, the former third overall pick can choose a team he's comfortable with. His skill set has always been enticing, but the consistency hasn't been there through his first seven seasons. Perhaps a year alongside Evgeni Malkin or Sidney Crosby could help rekindle Galchenyuk's 30-goal form as he looks to boost his stock.
Honorable mentions: Wayne Simmonds (NJ), Carl Soderberg (ARI), Michael Frolik (CGY), Evgenii Dadonov (FLA)
Defense
Alex Pietrangelo, Blues Age: 30 2019-20 cap hit: $6.5 million
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
The Blues not extending Pietrangelo is borderline unfathomable, but opposing GMs would salivate at the opportunity to acquire his services. While the length on his next deal is difficult to determine, one thing is crystal clear: he's definitely getting a nice raise.
Roman Josi, Predators Age: 30 2019-20 cap hit: $4 million
Josi is in the same category as Pietrangelo. Nashville's captain is too valuable for the club to let walk, and he's also in line for a gigantic payday.
Torey Krug, Bruins Age: 29 2019-20 cap hit: $5.25 million
Same thing here. Krug has already expressed his desire to stay in Boston forever, which is rather unfortunate when you consider just how stacked this group of free-agent blue-liners could have been.
Tyson Barrie/Jake Muzzin, Maple Leafs Age: 28/31 2019-20 cap hit: $5.5 million/$4 million
If you thought there was uncertainty surrounding the Maple Leafs' D-corps in the past, wait until next summer. Both Barrie and Muzzin are on expiring contracts, and it's unlikely that Toronto will have the funds to retain both. It's worth a shot, though, as the club only has one defenseman signed beyond next season.
Justin Schultz, Penguins Age: 29 2019-20 cap hit: $5.5 million
Matt Kincaid / Getty Images Sport / Getty
There's a decent chance that Schultz reaches free agency. The Penguins have undergone plenty of turnover lately and it feels as though no one but Sid or Geno is completely safe. As a right-handed shot with good offensive instincts, Schultz should draw a lot of interest.
Justin Faulk, Hurricanes Age: 28 2019-20 cap hit: $4.833 million
Faulk has been a topic in trade rumors for a while now, and the 2019-20 campaign could very well be his last in Carolina as the Hurricanes have a bevy of serviceable right-handed defensemen. Faulk should find a new home pretty easily - players of his ilk are extremely valuable in today's NHL - and he still has some of his prime years ahead of him.
TJ Brodie, Flames Age: 30 2019-20 cap hit: $4.65 million
Brodie is another intriguing option in next year's class. He's flown under the radar a touch in Calgary but is one of the best puck-movers in the league and has no issue logging over 20 minutes per night.
Jared Spurgeon, Wild Age: 30 2019-20 cap hit: $5.187 million
The Wild own one of the NHL's hidden gems in Spurgeon, whose game is heavily supported by both the eye test and sterling underlying numbers. He's a great fit in Minnesota, but any team that could potentially pry him away would be adding an outstanding piece.
Honorable mentions: Sami Vatanen (NJ), Chris Tanev (VAN), Cody Ceci (TOR), Travis Hamonic (CGY), Radko Gudas (WSH)
Goalies
Braden Holtby, Capitals Age: 30 2019-20 cap hit: $6.1 million
Patrick Smith / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Holtby is up for a new deal two years removed from backstopping Washington to a Stanley Cup. He hasn't been at his best over the past two regular seasons, and attaching term to a 30-year-old netminder is a risk, but it's hard to imagine the Capitals simply letting him walk away.
Corey Crawford, Blackhawks Age: 35 2019-20 cap hit: $6 million
Health concerns have erased Crawford's production over the past two seasons, so his next move is a mystery unless the 2019-20 season offers a clearer picture of what he has left to give.
Robin Lehner, Blackhawks Age: 28 2019-20 cap hit: $5 million
If Crawford is out of the picture beyond next season, the Blackhawks have a safety net in Lehner, who recently joined the club on a one-year deal. If the Vezina finalist repeats last season's form, Chicago will surely try to convince him to stick around.
Jacob Markstrom, Canucks Age: 30 2019-20 cap hit: $3.66 million
Markstrom has been pretty solid as the Canucks' starter over the last two seasons, but the club has Thatcher Demko waiting in line to take over the reins in goal. As a result, Markstrom is likely to spend his 30s in a new home.
Honorable mentions: Jimmy Howard (DET), Craig Anderson (OTT), Jaroslav Halak (BOS), Cam Talbot (CGY)
The club signed the first overall pick of this June's draft to a three-year, entry-level contract Friday. The deal carries a maximum average annual value of $925,000 plus performance bonuses.
Hughes, 18, led the U.S. National Development Team with 112 points in 50 games this past season. The shifty center set the program record for points with 190 over two campaigns.
