Wow.
Starting with franchise icon Evgeni Malkin reupping in the wee hours, it sure was a day of surprises.
Frankly, with only $4 million or so in cap space to work with, I thought it would be a quiet day for our favorite hockey team on the free-agent front.
WRONG.
GM Ron Hextall made four separate signings today (with a fifth rumored to be on the way), including a forward, a goalie and a pair of defensemen. Quite frankly, the last position I thought we’d seek to fortify.
The marquee signing if you can call it that is Jan Rutta, a 31-year-old Czechia defenseman who spent the better part of the past four seasons skating for Stanley Cup winners in Tampa Bay.