Biggest Winners and Losers From Day 1 of NHL Free Agency

July 1st is a day that some NHL franchises cherish, while others would be better off continuing to look to the future after an unproductive start to free agency. With countless players moving teams and some players electing to remain with their clubs, the first day of free agency saw some teams come out on top, with other's falling short of their goals.

Winners

1. Winner: New York Rangers

Columbus Blue Jackes v Tampa Bay Lightning - Game Two / Mike Carlson/Getty Images

The Rangers' excellent offseason continues as they landed the biggest name on the UFA market, signing Artemi Panarin to a seven-year, $81.5 million contract. Panarin chose the Rangers $11.6 million AAV offer despite having offers north of $12 million on the table. Adding an 85-plus point guy in Panarin surely sped up their rebuild, as New York has built a team that may contend for the playoffs as early as next season.

2. Winner: Dallas Stars

St Louis Blues v San Jose Sharks - Game One / Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

The Dallas Stars made two key signings, inking veteran forwards Joe Pavelski (3 years, $21 million) and Corey Perry (1 year, $1.5 million) to contracts. Although the Stars have stacked their roster with veterans, adding a proven and reliable goal scorer in Pavelski, as well as adding Perry, a player who is looking to bounce back from an injury-riddled season, gives Dallas offensive production from players not named Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin.

3. Winner: Florida Panthers

Boston Bruins v Columbus Blue Jackets - Game Six / Kirk Irwin/Getty Images

The Panthers quietly had a solid opening day of free agency, as they signed their guy in Sergei Bobrovsky (7 years, $70 million). But they also added key pieces in Noel Acciari (3 years, $5 million), Anton Stralman (3 years, $16.5 million), and Brett Connolly (4 years, $13 million). Bobrovsky is a phenomenal goaltender that will surely help boost the panthers success, while veterans Stralman and Connolly will solidify the team on their side of the puck.

Losers

4. Loser: Pittsburgh Penguins

Winnipeg Jets v St Louis Blues - Game Six / Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

The Penguins biggest splash was adding forward Brandon Tanev to a six-year deal worth an AAV of $3.5 million. The 27-year-old had 29 points last season, and on a day when the Metro Division saw a lot of its teams beef up, Tanev was the lone move the Penguins could pull off.

5. Loser: San Jose Sharks

St Louis Blues v San Jose Sharks - Game One / Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The Sharks did have an important signing today, inking Timo Meier to a four-year, $24 million contract. But the Sharks lost their captain in Joe Pavelski, as well as Joonas Donskoi, making the the day a painful one for San Jose and their fans.

6. Loser: New York Islanders

Columbus Blue Jackets v New York Islanders / Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

This year the islanders were able to retain their captain, re-signing Anders Lee to a seven-year, $49 million deal, as well as sign goaltender Semyon Varlamov to a four-year, $20 million contract. However, the Isles missed out on Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, while also losing depth forward Valterri Filppula and Masterton winner Robin Lehner. All-in-all, it was a tough July 1st for the Islanders.