Sometimes, they're game changers.
When a team makes a bid for an unrestricted free agent and it works out, everyone's happy.
Jerseys start selling. Wins start coming. And Stanley Cup parades seem possible.
But when those free-agency gambles don't pay off...ouch.
Losses pile up. Coaches get fired. And general managers start cleaning out desks, too.
Each of the NHL's 31 veteran franchises has hit a home run in free agency since the salary cap was installed, and they've each made a faulty bet when it comes to a contract offer, too. In fact, even the soon-to-debut Seattle Kraken wound up with a head-scratcher or two when they dipped into the UFA pool this summer.