David Krejci was at the top of many remaining UFA lists as of Friday, and was even believed to be working on something with the Bruins. However, he has decided to retire from the NHL, opting to return to his native Czech Republic to resume his career. With many families separated by COVID restrictions over the last year plus, he certainly can't be blamed for this decision. Krejci finished his NHL career on a high note, scoring 44 points in 51 games on the Bruins' second line.

At the time I was writing the fantasy take on the three new forwards that the Bruins acquired (Erik Haula, Nick Foligno, Tomas Nosek), I honestly didn't think any of them would matter that much in fantasy leagues. However, Krejci's departure should now create an opening for either Haula or Foligno. Jack Studnicka, who spent some time in the top 6 early in the season, might also be given a go in Krejci's second-line role as well. However, Charlie Coyle might be the preferred option for that spot alongside Taylor Hall and Craig Smith, as Coyle is signed for another five years at just over $5 million. In addition, both Coyle and Krejci are right shots, which works better for a left winger like Hall.

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Alex Tuch will need six months to recover from shoulder surgery, which will likely push his season debut up to the new year. Even though the Golden Knights' most significant weakness is at the center position, the Evgenii Dadonov acquisition now makes more sense. Assuming Tuch is placed on LTIR, Vegas now has more cap space to acquire Jack Eichel. At the very least, the Golden Knights now have more space to sign RFAs Nolan Patrick and Dylan Coghlan.

Assuming no further offseason moves, the Tuch injury doesn't necessarily help Dadonov. As mentioned in the fantasy take, Dadonov has been far more productive when he has more skilled linemates. Just look at the difference in his production between Florida and Ottawa. Regardless, I like him for some sort of bounceback with Vegas, even if not to the level of his time with Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Golden Knights simply offer more scoring options than the Senators do.

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Later on Friday, the Leafs signed Ondrej Kase to a one-year contract worth $1.25 million. Kase was held to just three games with the Bruins in 2020-21, failing to record a single point. Kase's injury was announced to be an upper-body injury, although it is believed to be a concussion. Regardless, this contract is a low-risk move for the Leafs, who are tight against the cap. If Kase has fully recovered, he could provide plenty of bang for the buck. He was a 20-goal scorer for the Ducks back in 2017-18, when it seemed he was on a path toward being a productive top-6 player, given his speed and natural skill.

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The Blues have signed Ivan Barbashev to a two-year contract worth $4.5 million total. Barbashev was most recently known for having been protected over Vladimir Tarasenko in the expansion draft. He hasn't reached the 30-point mark as a scorer yet, but he has a physical element to his game (144 hits in 2019-20) which seems to fit well with the Blues.

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Jujhar Khaira has signed with the Blackhawks for two years with a cap hit of just under $1 million. He is not usually a high point producer, but the 6-4, 212 lb. forward should provide Chicago with some size and physical play.

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Oh yeah, it seems like we're no closer to a Jack Eichel trade. The Sabres and Eichel continue to be in a stalemate status.

A statement from the agents of Sabres captain Jack Eichel: pic.twitter.com/9vyY4albk2

— Lance Lysowski (@LLysowski) July 31, 2021

This is a tough one. Eichel should have a say in what happens to his body, and he is the one experiencing the pain. On the other hand, he is still under contract to the Sabres. So it really comes down to how much say a team should have about what its player can and cannot do.

If the Sabres are asking for a sky-high return as has been reported, they will need to lower their asking price if they want to complete a deal this summer. There is risk involved in the surgery itself, since it has never been performed on an NHL player. There is also risk in having a player that is dealing with chronic pain and could potentially be in and out of the lineup. Either way, Eichel could potentially be damaged goods. This seems to explain why a trade hasn't been completed. A big divide exists between what the Sabres are asking for and what teams are willing to pay because of that injury risk.

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As I work through the Top 100 Roto Rankings for August, my focus will be on players who have recently switched teams. Today I'll discuss Dougie Hamilton, the biggest UFA prize of free agency.

On the surface, it would seem as though moving to New Jersey from Carolina would result in a downgrade for Hamilton. And at least initially, it probably is. Yet by signing Hamilton to a monster seven-year, $63 million contract, the Devils are signaling that they don't want to keep company with the Buffalos of the league and are ready to compete now.

The Devils simply don't generate the same level of offense as the Hurricanes at the moment. Carolina generated an average of 3.21 goals per game last season, while New Jersey generated 2.59 goals per game. The power-play percentage difference between the two teams seems even more significant, with the Hurricanes converting on 25.6 percent of their power plays, and the Devils just 14.2 percent. Obviously Hamilton will help the Devils in both categories with his ability as a play driver, but the fact remains that he is still joining an inferior offensive squad.

Fantasy Impact: Devils Win Dougie Hamilton Lottery

I have Hamilton ranked at #22 in the Roto Rankings for July. I also kept Hamilton in one of my leagues (keep 4) for the 2020-21 season, and he was a key reason that I was able to win that league. He gives you strong numbers across the board in many scoring roto categories (rankings are among defensemen for 2020-21):

10 G (tied for 5^th)

32 A (9^th)

+20 (tied for 13^th)

18 PPP (tied for 6^th)

180 SOG (1^st)

Over an 82-game season, Hamilton would have reached 62 points, 27 power-play points, and nearly 270 shots. He won't lose icetime or power-play time in New Jersey because he is being paid to be the guy, where there was some doubt to that among his previous teams, including Carolina at first. That being said, if moving teams results in a 10 percent decline in Hamilton's offense, he's looking at a 55-point season. That's still a very strong number, and the ability to contribute in multiple roto categories won't go away. But it's hard for me to justify his pre-signing ranking, even as a guy who swears by Hamilton in roto leagues.

Hamilton's addition could be huge for New Jersey's young scoring attack, though. The Devils don't feature any forwards over the age of 26 on their roster, mainly consisting of forwards who still have yet to enter their prime. I'm thinking of Jack Hughes in particular, who looks like a strong bet to improve on his 45-point pace from his sophomore season.

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For more fantasy hockey discussion, or to reach out to me, you can follow me on Twitter @Ian_Gooding