NHL's 3 best offseason signings

July 1 seems like an eternity ago, doesn't it?

In case you forgot, plenty of new faces will be in new places come October, and while some of the contracts doled out at the beginning of the free agent frenzy were a tad perplexing, a select few met the needs for both the players and teams involved.

Here are three signings that should prove to be a success.

Kyle Okposo - Buffalo Sabres

Sabres general manager Tim Murray wanted Steven Stamkos - bad - but inking Okposo to an affordable seven-year, $42-million contract was a fair consolation.

Okposo will join a growing, but supremely talented core of forwards in Buffalo, and will add scoring punch to an offense that ranked 25th league-wide in goals for with 199 last season.

At 28 years old, Okposo still has prime years ahead of him, and there's no reason to believe he can't produce a fourth consecutive 50-plus point season, even if he isn't riding shotgun with John Tavares anymore.

Alexander Radulov - Montreal Canadiens

While character issues have tarnished Radulov's reputation, the reward highly outweighs the risk for Marc Bergevin and the Canadiens.

A one-year, $5.75-million contract fits easily into Montreal's books, and Radulov claims to have changed his ways, saying he's matured since his incident in Nashville.

Adding the 30-year-old addresses the Habs' need for goals, which just so happens to be Radulov's modus operandi. In three of his past four seasons in the KHL, Radulov has finished among the top two in scoring.

Brian Campbell - Chicago Blackhawks

Campbell wanted a reunion with Chicago, so he and general manager Stan Bowman made it happen.

The 37-year-old signed a one-year, $1.5-million contract to return to the Blackhawks, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2010.

Bringing in Campbell immediately fills a hole in Chicago's top four, a void created when Johnny Oduya left for the Dallas Stars last offseason.

The Blackhawks lone downfall last season was a lack of defensive depth, and in Campbell, they get reliability, familiarity, and production at a discounted rate.