Free agent buzz: Texier traded to Blues by Blue Jackets, signs 2-year contract

Welcome to the NHL free agency buzz. Free agency begins Monday and teams are either signing their players, trading them away or making plans to move on without them. Here’s a look around the League at the latest doings:

St. Louis Blues
The Blues acquired Alexandre Texier in a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday for a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Texier, who could have become a restricted free agent July 1, signed a two-year, $4.2 million contract ($2.1 million annual average value) with the Blues.

The 24-year-old center had 30 points (12 goals, 18 assists) in 78 games this season and has 79 points (34 goals, 45 asssits) in 201 NHL games, all with Columbus.

He played the 2022-23 season with the ZSC Lions in Switzerland’s National League before returning to Columbus. He signed a two-year contract with the Blue Jackets before the 2021-22 season, with the second year of the contract covering this season.

Vancouver Canucks
Nikita Zadorov will not be back with the Canucks next season.

General manager Patrik Allvin said Friday that the pending unrestricted free agent will be signing elsewhere.

“I can’t overpay one single player and Nikita Zadorov was extremely good for us in the playoffs and a character guy,” Allvin said. “We did our best and he decided that he wanted to go somewhere else.”

The 29-year-old defenseman was traded to the Canucks by the Calgary Flames on Nov. 30, 2023, for a a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and a third-round pick in in the 2026 NHL Draft.

He had 14 points (five goals, nine assists) and a plus-6 rating in 54 games for the Canucks, and had eight points (four goals, four assists) and a plus-3 rating in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

He had 146 points (47 goals, 99 assists) in 642 career NHL games with the Buffalo Sabres, Colorado Avalanche, Chicago Blackhawks, Flames and Canucks.

He signed a two-year, $7.5 million contract $3.75 million average annual value) with the Flames on July 13, 2022.

Edmonton Oilers
Calvin Pickard signed a two-year, $2 million contract with the Oilers on Friday that begins next season. It has an average annual value of $1 million.

The 32-year-old goalie, who could have become an unrestricted free agent, was 12-7-1 with a 2.45 goals-against average, .909 save percentage and one shutout in 23 games (20 starts) for the Oilers this season and 1-1 with a 2.21 GAA and .915 save percentage in three Stanley Cup Playoff games (two starts), his only NHL postseason experience.

Edmonton lost to the Florida Panthers in seven games in the Stanley Cup Final.

Selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the second round (No. 49) of the 2010 NHL Draft, Pickard is 47-61-11 with a 2.93 GAA, .904 save percentage and five shutouts in 139 regular-season games (113 starts) for the Oilers, Detroit Red Wings, Arizona Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Avalanche.