NHL: Phil Kessel trade to Penguins highlights start of free agency

On the first day of NHL free agency, a blockbuster trade stole the spotlight.

The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired high-scoring winger Phil Kessel from Toronto on Wednesday in the biggest move of the day, while a handful of prominent defenseman found new homes.

Mike Green signed a multiyear deal with Detroit, Andrej Sekera signed a $33 million, six-year contract with Edmonton, Paul Martin inked a $19.4 million, four-year deal with San Jose and Francois Beauchemin got a three-year deal with Colorado.

Other notable players to sign with teams on a busy opening day were forward Michael Frolik, who got a $21.5 million, five-year deal from Calgary, forward Matt Beleskey, who got a $19 million, five-year deal from Boston, forward Blake Comeau, who signed a three-year deal with the Avalanche, and forward Daniel Winnik, who signed a two-year contract with Toronto.

A pair of players who helped Chicago win the Stanley Cup left as free agents with Brad Richards signing a one-year deal in Detroit and Antoine Vermette going back to Arizona four months after being traded to the Blackhawks.

But the biggest move was clearly the one that teamed up Kessel with former MVPs Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in Pittsburgh. The Penguins sent forward prospect Kasperi Kapanen, forward Nick Spaling, defenseman Scott Harrington and a 2016 third-round pick to the Maple Leafs for Kessel, forward Tyler Biggs and defenseman Tim Erixon. Conditional draft picks are also involved.

Kessel has 247 goals and 273 assists in nine seasons between Boston and Toronto, including 25 goals and 36 assists for the Maple Leafs in 2014-15.

“He was a guy that was blamed when things weren’t going well, and he doesn’t have to be the guy here,” Pittsburgh general manager Jim Rutherford said. “We have a bunch of them, and so I believe that he’s going to fit in very well.”

Kessel’s presence will provide Crosby and Malkin with a capable scorer still in his prime. Injuries devastated Pittsburgh’s depth last season. The Penguins struggled to score goals for long stretches and fell to the New York Rangers in five games in the opening round of the playoffs.

Despite losing Richards and Brandon Saad, the Blackhawks were able to lock up one of the players they got in the seven-player deal that sent Saad to Columbus on Tuesday.

Forward Artem Anisimov agreed to a $22.75 million, five-year contract extension.