With John Carlson re-signing with the Washington Capitals, the 2018 NHL free agent class took a serious hit. The group was thin on talent in the first place and with the high-end blueliner locked up through 2026, only one big fish remains in John Tavares.
Of course, there are still numerous other players available, and adding the right forward or defenseman during free agency can make a huge impact—even when the said impact isn't immediately evident.
A perfect example of that is Devante Smith-Pelly. The Capitals signed him to a one-year deal worth $650,000 three days into free agency last July after it became clear that they were simply going to need bodies up front.