NHL GMs spent an absurd amount of money on Day 1 of Free Agency

From several goaltenders switching teams, veterans making big moves and Johnny Gaudreau shocking everyone by signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Lost in all the madness was the amount of money that was handed out by NHL general managers yesterday, and it was A LOT. Check it out:

Side Note: Given their cap situation, but the Boston Bruins accounted for a hilarious 0.126 percent of that $604.4M.

Compared to UFA and RFA signings on day one of free agency from 2011 to 2016, NHL contracts have gone up a significant amount, even with the recent pandemic (Includes two-way contracts).

2011: 86 contracts worth $284 million
2012: 80 contracts worth $215 million
2013: 95 contracts worth $445 million
2014: 118 contracts worth $604 million
2015: 104 contracts worth $281 million
2016: 132 contracts worth $490 million

What's noticeable is the number of contracts signed as well, whether it's because players don't want to stay in one place too long or GMs spend too much to keep them around. Who knows?

Even compared to day one of last year's free agency, nine more contracts were signed, but $141 million less was handed out. Hopefully, a sign that the cap is expected to go way up in the coming years.

2021: 163 contracts worth $785 million
2022: 154 contracts worth $926 million