NHL News

Brenden Dillon among 4 former Jets who found new homes on the opening day of NHL free agency

A hockey player handles the puck with his stick as he skates past opposing players on the ice.

The Winnipeg Jets have lost four players to the open market on the opening day of NHL free agency.

Defenceman Brenden Dillon, goaltender Laurent Brossoit and forwards Tyler Toffoli and Sean Monahan — all unrestricted free agents — signed with other teams Monday.

Dillon inked a three-year, $12-million US contract with the New Jersey Devils.

The six-foot-four, 225-pound defenceman spent the last three seasons in Winnipeg. He played 77 games last season and recorded 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) with a plus-20 rating.

A physical presence on the blue line, the 33-year-old led the Jets with 241 hits and 92 penalty minutes last season.

Brossoit signed a two-year, $6.6-million deal with the Chicago Blackhawks.

The 31-year-old from Port Alberni, B.C., posted a 15-2-2 record with a 2.00 goals-against average and .927 save percentage last season backing up star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. Brossoit was in his second stint with the Jets.

Tyler Toffoli, who the Winnipeg Jets acquired prior to last season’s trade deadline, inked a contract with the San Jose Sharks on Monday. (Fred Greenslade/Canadian Press)

Toffoli and Monahan were both acquired before last season’s trade deadline. Toffoli signed a four-year, $24-million deal with San Jose and Monahan inked a five-year, $27.5 million deal with Columbus.

Toffoli, from Toronto, had seven goals and four assists in 18 regular-season games for Winnipeg and added two goals in five playoff contests.

Monahan, from Brampton, Ont., had 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists) in 34 games with Winnipeg and added an assist in the playoffs as the Jets bowed out in five games to the Colorado Avalanche in the first round.

To shore up the goaltending after Brossoit’s departure, the Jets signed netminders Eric Comrie and Kaapo Kahkonen.

Comrie signed a two-year contract with an average annual value of $825,000 while Kahkonen signed a one-year deal worth $1 million.

It’s the third stint with the Jets for the 28-year-old from Edmonton.

He played the last two campaigns with the Buffalo Sabres and had a 2-7-0 record with a 3.69 goals-against average and a .874 save percentage in 10 games last season.

Comrie was originally selected by Winnipeg in the second round (59th overall) in the 2013 NHL draft.

A goalie makes a save in tight.
Goaltender Eric Comrie, left, is back in Winnipeg for his third stint with the Jets after signing a two-year deal on Monday. (Terrence Lee/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters)

He has a 24-26-2 record with a 3.38 GAA and .893 save percentage in 57 NHL games…

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