The regular season is behind us, meaning many teams have already turned their main focus toward the draft and free agency. As the postseason schedule continues for the other half of the league, PHR will join those front offices in identifying the top targets expected to be available on the open market in July.
We kicked off our UFA previews early this month with the men between the pipes, outlining what looks to be an incredibly mild goalie class in July. Next up is a look at the forward options currently set to be available on the market, starting with left wings.
Note: only players on NHL rosters in 2024 are included in this exercise. Pending UFAs who play multiple positions are listed with their most frequent one in the 2023-24 season, not necessarily the position they’re listed as playing by the league. The listed ages are as of July 1, 2024.
Bonafide First-Liners
Jake Guentzel, 29
2023-24 team: Pittsburgh Penguins/Carolina Hurricanes
Guentzel isn’t just the best LW available. He likely has the highest market value of any forward – assuming he doesn’t extend with the Canes over the next two and a half months. He was again over a point per game as Sidney Crosby’s wingman through the first three-quarters of the season in Pittsburgh, and he’s been even better since a deadline blockbuster sent him south to Raleigh.
In 16 games since the trade, he’s erupted for eight goals and 16 assists for 24 points, leading the Canes in post-deadline scoring and tying for 10th league-wide. He’s a remarkable +16 in that span, too, quickly earning a promotion to first-line duties alongside Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis after starting his Carolina tenure on the second line. The 2013 third-rounder has clinched another season over the point-per-game threshold, his fourth time in the last five seasons. His 1.15 per-game rate and his +18.5 expected rating are both career highs, as is his 56.9 CF% at even strength. He was dominating shot attempts before the trade as well – he’d be the Penguins leader in CF% had he not been dealt.
His recent consistency and his sub-30 age mean he’s in line for a significant increase on his $6MM cap hit. He likely won’t reach eight figures – nor will any forward available. But he’s nearly a first-line lock anywhere he could end up and is the only left-winger on the market to average north of 20 minutes per game this season.
Steven Stamkos, 34
2023-24 team: Tampa Bay Lightning
Stamkos is slowly shifting away from center ice, primarily lining up at wing this season alongside either Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point or Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel. He’s still good for a fair amount of draws, winning 55.6% of his 619 attempts, most of which have still come at even strength. While the Lightning captain is getting up there in age, he’s one of three forwards, including Guentzel and in-state rival Sam Reinhart, to log over a point per game this year.
Seeing Stammer outside of a Tampa jersey remains unbelievable for some, and understandably so. He’s far and away the franchise leader in points (1,134), passed Vincent Lecavalier earlier this season for the games played record (1,080), and is only eight assists back of Martin St. Louis (580). The 2008 first-overall pick has done well to bolster those totals this season, recording 39 goals and 39 assists for 78 points in 77 games. His play away from the puck is starting to suffer as he enters his mid-30s, though, posting a team-worst -21 rating, the same number as the squad’s shockingly poor 5-on-5 goal differential. The shot attempt and possession metrics don’t paint as dire of a picture, but they’re the worst we’ve seen from him in a healthy season in five years.
Admittedly, giving him the “bonafide first-line” designation may be a bit ambitious if the aging curve takes an aggressive toll moving forward, but he’s still a true superstar name for now. There’s been no indication of meaningful extension talks since Stamkos expressed disappointment pre-season in the lack of communication. GM Julien BriseBois indicated that he wouldn’t commence talks until the season ended, a position that hasn’t changed.
Potential Top-Six Options
Jonathan Drouin, 29
2023-24 team: Colorado Avalanche
The former Canadiens top-six winger has found his groove again in Colorado, scoring 19 goals, 37 assists and 56 points with a +12 rating in 79 games played. He set career-highs in assists and points playing alongside former junior hockey teammate Nathan MacKinnon, averaging 18:11 per game in a top-line role. Drouin had only 17 goals in 163 games with Montreal over the past four seasons combined, so his laundry list of recent injuries, inconsistent play, and the uncertainty of his level of play away from MacKinnon will dampen his market value. Don’t expect anything too lengthy – Michael Bunting’s three-year, $13.5MM deal ($4.5MM AAV) with the Hurricanes last summer is a solid comparable.
Teuvo Teräväinen, 29
2023-24 team: Carolina Hurricanes
Like Drouin, Teräväinen had a nice rebound after a 2022-23 campaign that fell short of expectations. Injuries limited him to 68 games last year, and he wasn’t productive when healthy – his 0.18 goals per game were his lowest in a Carolina uniform. His playoff resume was also abbreviated after sustaining a broken hand in Game 3 of last year’s first-round win over the Islanders. Turbo is all healed up this season, though, and is back to his usual tricks – 25 goals, 28 assists and 53 points in 76 games for the Canes to rank third on the team in scoring. His possession metrics were around the team average (a remarkable 60.1 CF% at even strength), and he averaged over 16 minutes per game for the eighth straight season.
Adam Henrique, 34
2023-24 team: Anaheim Ducks/Edmonton Oilers
Henrique has been a consistent middle-six producer throughout his prime, even if the Ducks would have had you think otherwise by nonsensically placing him on waivers and assigning him to the taxi squad briefly in 2021. He’s aging like fine wine, putting up one of his best NHL seasons at age 33/34. He appeared in 82 games for the fourth time, putting up 24 goals, 27 assists and 51 points for the Ducks and Oilers. An incredibly versatile talent who can truly play both center and wing (53.3 FOW% this season in over 1,000 draws), he also logged significant time on the power play and penalty kill for Anaheim this season. His usage dropped to under 15 minutes per game with Edmonton after the trade, but that’s more due to their high-end top-six group than anything else. For now, Henrique is still absolutely capable of second-line minutes.
Anthony Mantha, 29
2023-24 team: Washington Capitals/Vegas Golden Knights
Mantha once looked like money in the bank for 25 goals a season, but his tenure with Washington after a 2021 trade from the Red Wings resulted in nothing but injuries and dwindling ice time. He got his groove back in 2023-24, though, putting up some of the best possession numbers among Caps forwards with a solid 20 goals and 34 points in 56 games. He was solid down the stretch after Vegas picked him up before the trade deadline with three goals and 10 points in 18 games, more conservative point production from him that should be expected going forward. Mantha shot 22.2% with Washington, an obviously unsustainable rate, even considering his strong 12.6% career average. He may not be a surefire bet for second-line duties at even strength like Henrique and Teräväinen, but he has the upside on a weaker team and will be a solid secondary scoring option wherever he ends up.
Anthony Duclair, 28
2023-24 team: San Jose Sharks/Tampa Bay Lightning
Duclair can play either wing comfortably, but his deployment with Kucherov and Point since Tampa picked him up before the trade deadline has firmly planted him on the left side for now. He’s got great goal-scoring upside and good wheels, as evidenced by his 31 goals with the Panthers two seasons ago, but is prone to injuries and inconsistent showings from season to season. He did what he could for a severely understaffed Sharks offense this season, potting 16 goals and 27 points in 56 games with them after they took on the last year of his $3MM AAV contract from Florida for cap relief. Again thrust into a top-six role on a playoff team in Tampa, Duclair was on fire down the stretch, posting eight goals and 15 points in 17 games with the Bolts after the trade. He’s a career 13.8% shooter over 500 games and should be good for around 25 goals for the next few seasons – if he can stay healthy. Injuries limited him to 20 games in 2022-23.
Tyler Bertuzzi, 29
2023-24 team: Toronto Maple Leafs
Bertuzzi struggled heavily to begin the season after signing a one-year, $5.5MM pact in Toronto but rebounded well down the stretch. He finished the campaign with 21 goals and 43 points in 80 games – not quite as much as the Leafs were expecting, but still solid for a secondary scorer. The real win was getting him to stay healthy – those 80 games were a career-high, and injuries limited him to 68 and 50 games over the last two seasons, respectively, with the Red Wings and Bruins. He’s proven he can handle top-six minutes with ease and hasn’t had negative possession impacts since his rookie season, adding an appealing pot-stirring element to his game as well. Some ill-advised penalties do limit his value somewhat – his 53 PIMs this year were a career-high – but he remains a good secondary scoring and power-play option.
Middle-Six Wingers
James van Riemsdyk, 35
2023-24 team: Boston Bruins
The Bruins signed van Riemsdyk to a one-year, $1MM deal last summer that proved to be a solid value bet. He spent most of the season in third-line minutes, scoring 11 goals and 27 assists for 38 points in 71 games. He opened their first-round series against the Maple Leafs as a healthy scratch, and aging curves remain a risk, but he’ll be eligible for a 35+ contract this summer that could allow a team to keep his cap hit low while offering performance bonuses to match his current market value, likely around the $2.5MM to $3MM range after a bounce-back year in Beantown.
Max Pacioretty, 35
2023-24 team: Washington Capitals
Pacioretty missed the first half of the season rehabbing from his second Achilles tendon injury in the past two years, struggling to look the part in his first 40-plus game showing since 2020-21. It’s been a difficult stretch for the six-time 30-goal scorer with Montreal and Vegas, who had just four tallies in 47 games with the Caps. His overall point production was still passable with 23, but it’s clear he’s no longer the first-line threat he was two years ago. Despite his -14 rating, he still maintained decent possession metrics on a poor puck-control Washington squad with a 46.9 CF% and 51.1 xGF% at even strength.
Dakota Joshua, 28
2023-24 team: Vancouver Canucks
The former minor-league mainstay has had a spectacular breakout season with Vancouver, forcing his way into a third-line role. His 18 goals and 32 points in only 63 games made him one of their most important depth scorers in their unexpectedly strong regular season, averaging 14:32 per game. After doing decently well with 23 points in 79 games in fourth-line minutes in Vancouver last year, it’s clear he’s earned a full-time spot in the league and will almost certainly fetch upward of $3MM annually on the open market.
Danton Heinen, 28
2023-24 team: Boston Bruins
Heinen began his second stint in Boston on a PTO, not signed to an NHL contract until late October. He’s proven to be a solid depth piece, much like JVR, but with better wheels and more upward mobility. Slotting in opposite David Pastrňák on the Bruins’ first line in the playoffs thus far, he had 17 goals and 36 points in 74 regular-season contests.
Warren Foegele, 28
2023-24 team: Edmonton Oilers
The Ontario-born winger wrapped up his third season in Edmonton, setting career-highs across the board while playing in all 82 games for the second time in his career. Averaging 13:59 per game and seeing spot duty on their second line, he was fifth on the squad with 20 goals and added 21 assists for 41 points. His per-game point output has steadily climbed in Edmonton, increasing from 0.32 in 2021-22 to 0.50 this year. His 10.0% shooting percentage this year was in line with his career average, so it’s feasible he’ll be able to maintain this level of production for another few seasons.
Jason Zucker, 32
2023-24 team: Arizona Coyotes/Nashville Predators
Zucker’s one-year, low-risk pact with the Coyotes just didn’t work. Signed to a rather pricey $5.3MM cap hit, he had 25 points in 51 games with Arizona and only garnered a sixth-round pick from the Preds at the deadline, with the Yotes’ front office reportedly unwilling to allow GM Bill Armstrong to retain salary. His production wasn’t much better with Nashville down the stretch, adding five goals and seven points in 18 games, and played just over 13 minutes per night. While his six 20-goal seasons suggest second-line upside, Zucker is more firmly suited for third-line minutes at this stage of his career.
Jordan Martinook, 31
2023-24 team: Carolina Hurricanes
Martinook remains an invaluable checking winger for a truly terrifyingly dominant Canes forward group in all three zones. The 10-year veteran has managed 132 points in 394 games with the Canes since joining in 2018 and has broken the 30-point plateau in each of the past two seasons while playing in all 82 games. He broke out with an incredible playoff performance last season, too, stepping up with 12 points in 15 games while main scoring options Teräväinen and Andrei Svechnikov were injured. He controls shot attempts in a dominant manner, too, posting a CF% at even strength above 60 since 2022-23.
Depth Options/Rebound Hopefuls
Stefan Noesen, 31
2023-24 team: Carolina Hurricanes
Noesen has been impeccable in a fourth-line role for Carolina the past two years, racking up 27 goals and 73 points in 159 games. He’s untested in tougher minutes, though, and he’s played in a rather advantageous system under head coach Rod Brind’Amour. Still, that level of production while managing over 100 shots on goal each season in his low-end usage is impressive, and the AHL mainstay just two years ago is in line for a seven-figure deal this summer.
Kiefer Sherwood, 29
2023-24 team: Nashville Predators
Sherwood has a similar career profile to Noesen but is two years younger and less productive. A top-line threat at the AHL level for a number of years, Sherwood earned a long runway in Nashville this season and responded well with 10 goals and 27 points in 68 games, all career-highs. His +17 rating shouldn’t be considered too much by suitors – his possession metrics were quite average and don’t point to it being sustainable. He’ll cost less than Noesen, though, and is a strong option for teams looking to put together an offensively-inclined fourth line.
Mike Hoffman, 34
2023-24 team: San Jose Sharks
A 36-goal man with the Panthers five years ago, Hoffman is likely a PTO candidate this summer – if he stays in the NHL at all. He already has to overcome his reputation as a one-dimensional winger, and an injury-dotted season with 10 goals and 23 points in 66 games for the Sharks didn’t help restore his market value. By failing to secure top-six minutes on the worst team in the league, he may have written his ticket to professional hockey in Europe in 2024-25.
Tomáš Tatar, 33
2023-24 team: Colorado Avalanche/Seattle Kraken
Tatar had a difficult campaign in every department. His nine goals and 24 points in 70 games between Colorado and Seattle were career lows for him in a full season, as was his 12:27 ATOI. The 2009 second-round pick has been criminally underrated in Selke Trophy voting over the past few seasons and often had some of the best possession quality metrics in the league, but his 49.2 xGF% this year was his worst since 2017-18. He’ll likely find another home somewhere, but he didn’t land a contract until September last summer, meaning he could be destined for a PTO if he wants to extend his NHL career.