Mason Marchment gave Ryan Warsofsky his first big free-agent swing Wednesday as San Jose jumped hard into the market.
Less than an hour into free agency, the Sharks were tied to the loudest term on the board: 5 years at roughly $7M AAV for Marchment.
That's a clear bet on size, edge, and real top-six production. Marchment finished 2025-26 with 19 goals and 45 points, and he did it across stops in Seattle and Columbus.
For San Jose, this isn't a depth add dressed up as a headline.
This is Mike Grier paying for a winger who can play through contact, get to the crease, and drag play inside the dots.
There's another layer here too. Bryan Marchment spent years in San Jose in both playing and development roles, so this move lands with a built-in family connection.
That won't matter once puck drop comes around, but it does make the fit feel less random on a day when plenty of teams were still sorting through second-tier options.
The Western Conference didn't wait around to kick off NHL free agency frenzy
Colorado moved quickly too, landing Jaden Schwartz on a 3-year deal worth $3.25M per season. That's a very Colorado swing from Jared Bednar's group.
Schwartz had 11 goals and 26 points in 50 games last season with Seattle, and the appeal is obvious.
He still thinks the game well, he can move up and down a lineup, and he won't need power-play touches to help.
For the Avalanche, this looks like a middle-six fix with playoff habits attached. At that cap hit, Colorado adds a winger who can survive hard minutes without forcing a bigger roster shuffle.
Then there's Corey Perry, who is headed back to the Los Angeles Kings for his age-41 season. Contract details were still coming together, but the message was already clear.
The Kings and D.J. Smith want more push, more bite, and another veteran who doesn't blink in heavy games. Perry still had 17 goals and 37 points last season, so this isn't just a nostalgia move.
What stands out is the timing. Before the first hour had fully settled, three Western clubs had already filled three very different needs: San Jose added muscle and finish, Colorado added structure, and Los Angeles added menace around its bottom six.
That's what made this opening rush matter. These weren't depth flyers. These were decisions that will shape line combinations, special-teams looks, and the tone inside three locker rooms right away.
Did San Jose make the best move of the first hour?
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