from Jonathan Willis of Sportsnet,

Low-risk, high-reward

The low-risk/high-reward deal is the kind every general manager loves and every pundit proclaims an immediate win, but for obvious reasons these deals are rare. How often are players that can really move the needle for a franchise available for a song?

There was really only one inarguable example on July 1: Brian Campbell’s return to the Chicago Blackhawks. Campbell is far closer to the end of his career than to its beginning, but even at the age of 37 he remains an exceptional defenceman....

High-risk, high-reward

Most of the best free agents don’t sign sweetheart deals; as a rule they want guaranteed money for as long as possible.

The 2016 class is no exception. Six players signed deals worth at least $5.0 million per season and with a term exceeding a half-decade. All are capable of playing a significant role in the present; all run the risk of becoming costly mistakes some years down the road.

Two of those players, David Backes and Frans Nielsen, are 32 already and that heightens the risk involved. The other four, though, have their own issue:...

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