NHL Free-Agent News: 10 Most Important Signings of the 2011-12 Season so Far

Free agency is always a gamble for teams. They have to hope that they are going to get a player that is going to improve the team without having to give an arm and a leg.

The most frustrating part about that is that you have to wait another four months before you will see whether or not your investment pays off.

Now that we're a month into the season, we're starting to get a picture of the signings that are paying off for the teams that made them.

Brad Richards

Starting off with the most important signing of the offseason, Brad Richards has been a great addition to the New York Rangers.

He's provided a great presence on the first line and has helped Marion Gaborik producing. Currently Gaborik and Richards are tied for the team lead in points with 10.

Brad Richards was the prize of the free-agent market and the Rangers are still collecting their chips with every game.

With Richards the Rangers are deeper and more dangerous from day one. Great signing and great production.

Tomas Fleischmann

This one is perhaps the biggest surprise of the offseason, and one that has made me pine to have Fleischmann back on the Avalanche.

Flash left Colorado with a lot of health concerns, and those will probably still be around him for the rest of his career, but he is certainly making Florida look like they knew what they were doing when they signed him.

Fleischmann is tied for second on the team in points with 11 (five goals, six assists) and just does what he always has done: quietly succeed.

Good for you Flash; glad to see him playing well!

Tomas Vokoun

Vokoun had a rough start in Washington. Even though he won some games, he was letting some goals go in.

It sure looks like he has been playing pretty well since. Vokoun is 7-2-0 with 2.54 GAA and a very solid .917 save percentage.

He's found his game, and with Neuvirth as a very capable backup, the Caps could be going a long way.

Semyon Varlamov

The Avalanche got off to a quick start this season, and Varlamov was a huge part of that.

The Avalanche have come back down to earth a bit more lately, but Varlamov is still doing what he was brought to Colorado to do, which is give his team a chance to win.

He's only had one really bad game, but even in that game against Dallas he still made some big saves to keep his team in it.

Varly has been a great addition to Colorado as they fight to remain in the tight Western Conference race.

Simon Gagne

Simon Gagne is one of the more underrated signings of the offseason, and the Kings are really enjoying what he brings to their team.

Though he isn't the top scorer on the team, he is still doing exactly what it is they brought him in to do.

He's providing excellent depth and secondary scoring to a team that really relied too much on one line.

After Kopitar went down last season, that really made it pretty well impossible for the team to roll as they had been.

Gagne brings in that second wave of scoring that the Kings sorely needed.

Zach Parise

Parise was a re-signing, but to me he still counts as an important signing of the free-agent period.

Without Parise the Devils were really just a one-line team that could be controlled as long as you neutralized Kovalchuk and Elias.

With Parise, each of those players have been scoring more as teams have to choose which group they want to try and stop.

Parise is also a solid leader for this team, which can be seen by the Devils naming Parise captain at the start of the year.

If the Devils are able to get back to the playoffs, it will largely be the result of Parise's presence on the team.

Jaromir Jagr

Jagr's success back in the NHL took a lot of people by surprise, myself included.

After a few years over in Russia, Jagr showed that he hadn't missed a step in the speed of the NHL game and has been a solid producer for the Flyers.

Jagr is actually second on the Flyers with 15 points (six goals, nine assists).

Jagr ended up being an absolute steal for Philadelphia

Alex Tanguay

Alex Tanguay might be one of the most overlooked players in the history of the NHL.

When he played with the Colorado Avalanche, Tanguay played on the same line as the eventual winners of the Hart Memorial Trophy winners in Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg.

Yes, both of those guys were amazing players in their own rights, but it still takes great linemates to get you to that spot.

Tanguay also plays on a line with Jarome Iginla now, and when Iginla is going at his best it is largely because Tanguay is also playing a great game.

Tanguay signed a long-term deal with Calgary, and will likely end his career playing with Jarome Iginla unless Calgary goes and blows up their lineup.

Ian White

White has ended up being a great signing for Detroit, and has even worked his way onto a pairing with Hall of Famer-to-be, Nik Lidstrom.

He's also found some good production. In the 12 games that he has played with Detroit he already has as many goals as he had all last season.

White has added some great depth to a team that is always very deep.

Jason Arnott

Arnott is on the downswing of his career, but he is still producing in the NHL.

It helps that he is as big and strong as he is, but with age also comes the smarts to know how to use your individual talents as effectively as possible.

Arnott is tied for second on his team in scoring with eight points, and brings some solid veteran leadership to a young team that really needs it.

Combine Arnott's signing with that of Jamie Langenbrunner's signing and you end up with some really great veteran leadership for this very youthful team.

Personally, that's a huge positive for me.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and NHL on Bleacher Report. For more NHL news and discussion,