Deals come for Ristolainen, Kucherov as NHL team finalize rosters

The Buffalo Sabres signed defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen and the Tampa Bay Lightning signed forward Nikita Kucherov as NHL teams made final roster moves Tuesday on the eve of the regular season.

Ristolainen signed a six-year $32.4 million contract, while Kucherov signed a three-year deal that averages $4.766 million a year. Both were restricted free agents whose rights were retained by their respective teams in June.

For Buffalo, the signing means the Sabres will have their top defenseman ready for their opener against Montreal on Thursday.

The Lightning, meanwhile, have their nucleus intact in preparing to open their season by hosting Detroit on Thursday. Kucherov led the Lightning with 30 goals and 66 points in the regular season, and led them again in the playoffs with 11 goals and 19 points.

The Big Bang: A frenzied 23 minutes in June changed the outlook of the season

Their signings left three prominent restricted free agents still without contracts, including Winnipeg defenseman Jacob Trouba, who has asked to be traded. Also unsigned are Anaheim Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm and forward Rickard Rakell.

In another move Tuesday, veteran forward Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau was claimed by the New Jersey Devils a day after being placed on waivers by the New York Islanders. Parenteau is a two-time 20-goal scorer, who is joining his eighth team in nine NHL seasons. New Jersey freed up roster space by placing defenseman Seth Helgeson on waivers.

Elsewhere:

- Ruslan Fedotenko announced he is retiring after 12 NHL seasons split among five teams. Fedotenko is a two-time Stanley Cup champion who spent the past two seasons playing for Iowa of the American Hockey League. He had 173 goals and 193 assists for 366 points in 863 NHL games.

- Los Angeles kept forward Devin Setoguchi. The veteran played his way onto the roster after nearly two years out of the NHL, during which he dealt with an alcohol problem. The Kings also sent veteran defenseman Rob Scuderi, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, to the minors after he cleared waivers.

NHL Old Faces in New Places

P.K. Subban, D, Nashville Predators

Former team: Montreal Canadiens

Shea Weber, D, Montreal Canadiens

Former team: Nashville Predators

Taylor Hall, LW, New Jersey Devils

Former team: Edmonton Oilers

Milan Lucic, LW, Edmonton Oilers

Former team: Los Angeles Kings

Brian Elliott, G, Calgary Flames

Former team: St. Louis Blues

Keith Yandle, D, Florida Panthers

Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images

Former team: New York Rangers

Kyle Okposo, RW, Buffalo Sabres

Former team: New York Islanders

David Backes, C, Boston Bruins

Former team: St. Louis Blues

Loui Eriksson, RW, Vancouver Canucks

Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images (head); Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images (body)

Former team: Boston Bruins

Derick Brassard, LW, Ottawa Senators

Former team: New York Rangers

Andrew Ladd, LW, New York Islanders

Former team: Winnipeg Jets

Eric Staal, C, Minnesota Wild

Former team: New York Rangers

Mika Zibanejad, C, New York Rangers

Former team: Ottawa Senators

Frederik Andersen, G, Toronto Maple Leafs

Former team: Anaheim Ducks

Teuvo Teravainen, C, Carolina Hurricanes

Former team: Chicago Blackhawks

Frans Nielsen, C, Detroit Red Wings

Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images (head); Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images (body)

Former team: New York Islanders

Alex Goligoski, D, Arizona Coyotes

Former team: Dallas Stars

Mikkel Boedker, LW, San Jose Sharks

Former team: Colorado Avalanche

Troy Brouwer, RW, Calgary Flames

Former team: St. Louis Blues

Adam Larsson, D, Edmonton Oilers

Former team: New Jersey Devils

Dmitry Kulikov, D, Buffalo Sabres

Former team: Florida Panthers

Jamie McGinn, LW, Arizona Coyotes

Former team: Anaheim Ducks

Thomas Vanek, LW, Detroit Red Wings

Andy King/NHLI via Getty Images (head); Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images (body)

Former team: Minnesota Wild

Nail Yakupov, RW, St. Louis Blues

Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images (head); Scott Rovak/NHLI via Getty Images (body)

Former team: Edmonton Oilers

Radim Vrbata, RW, Arizona Coyotes

Former team: Vancouver Canucks

Lee Stempniak, RW, Carolina Hurricanes

Former team: Boston Bruins

Brian Campbell, D, Chicago Blackhawks

Former team: Florida Panthers

David Perron, LW, St. Louis Blues

Former team: Anaheim Ducks

- Calgary signed free-agent forward Kris Versteeg to a one-year contract. Versteeg is a nine-year NHL veteran and a two-time Stanley Cup champion, who split last season with Carolina and Los Angeles.

- Pittsburgh claimed Montreal goalie Mike Condon; Minnesota claimed Detroit forward Teemu Pulkkinen; Toronto claimed Boston forward Seth Griffith; and Carolina claimed Phoenix defenseman Klas Dahlbeck.

- The New York Rangers placed forward Nathan Gerbe on waivers with the intention of terminating his contract.

- The Hurricanes acquired forward Connor Brickley from the Florida Panthers for forward Brody Sutter in a swap of prospects. Sutter is the 25-year-old son of former Panthers coach Duane Sutter and had no points in 12 games over two seasons with the Hurricanes.

Add us as a preferred source on Google