The NHL is a league of winners and losers, haves and have nots, and its free agency period is no different. The Steve Yzermans of the world are able to extract good value amidst the chaos, while your Paul Holmgrens often make catastrophic mistakes that have franchise-altering implications. Savvy teams walk away from free agency improved, their pockets brimming with impactful players (or cap space), while other teams are unsuccessful in their search for that final piece, struggle to attract talent, or negotiate ill-advised contracts from positions of weakness.
