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Free Agent Focus 2020

Free Agent Focus: Boston Bruins

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While the official start date of free agency remains in flux depending on when the playoffs end (the later of October 9th or a week after the completion of the Stanley Cup Final), many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Boston’s core is aging but the Bruins were still the best team in the regular season and will be looking to return as Stanley Cup contenders.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Jake DeBrusk – Which DeBrusk are the Bruins signing this offseason? The 27-goal sophomore star that was the team’s most important weapon behind the top line in 2018-19, or the 19-goal depth scorer who put up only 35 points in 2019-20? It looked for a while like DeBrusk was heading towards a huge payday on his second contract, but after more than 200 games in the NHL it’s still not exactly clear what the Bruins have. There’s no doubt he’s an important part of the roster but he was included in a group of names that GM Don Sweeney “has to listen” on in Fluto Shinzawa’s latest for The Athletic. Though Shinzawa ultimately lists the likelihood of a DeBrusk trade as low, his pending free agency and the Bruins cap situation still keeps it a possibility.

D Matt Grzelcyk – There are few defensemen in the NHL that are playing fewer minutes than they deserve. Usually, because of the lack of quality options, blueliners are skated to their last breath, ridden until the wheels fall off. In Grzelcyk, the Bruins appear to have one of the rare defensemen ready to take on more responsibility. The 26-year-old averaged just over 18 minutes a night this season but could be in for a huge increase, especially with the man-advantage. Grzelcyk is an in-house replacement for Torey Krug, who will be featured below, and could be a bargain given he’ll be negotiating this summer on three relatively unproductive NHL seasons. In 197 games Grzelcyk has managed to score just 54 points, a number that could nearly double if given the reins to PP1 in 2020-21 (although, Charlie McAvoy may have something to say about that assignment).

Other RFAs: F Brett Ritchie, F Zachary Senyshyn, F Karson Kuhlman, F Brendan Gaunce, F Peter Cehlarik, D Jakub Zboril, D Wiley Sherman

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

D Zdeno Chara – There isn’t much to say about the 43-year-old Bruins captain. Chara wants to return and is willing to work with the team on a salary that fits their financial situation. Even if he’s not the perennial Norris Trophy contender he was in his prime, Chara is still a useful option for the Bruins and was their leading penalty killer in 2019-20. An irreplaceable leader on the blueline, he’ll likely be back on another one-year deal.

D Torey Krug – Krug is where the real focus will be, given how well he has played for the team and his status as one of the best free agents on the market. Over the last five seasons, only five defensemen have scored more points than Krug. Three of them are up for the Norris this season and the other two are Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson. The 2020-21 cap hits of those five names: $11.5MM, $9.06MM $8MM, $8MM, $7.875MM. You can bet that Krug’s representatives will bring those names up in the negotiations, though given Sweeney’s comments today the two sides may still be far apart.

Other UFAs: F Joakim Nordstrom, D Kevan Miller, F Ryan Fitzgerald, D Alexander Petrovic, G Maxime Lagace

Projected Cap Space

The Bruins actually have some money to spend this offseason, with just $66MM committed to the 2020-21 season, but will have to tread very carefully with long-term deals. That’s because even bigger negotiations are right around the corner with McAvoy and fellow defensive rock Brandon Carlo, while a decision will have to be made in net at some point. Both Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents in 2021.

David Pastrnak also has just three years remaining on his below-market contract, though by the time he’s up the team will have said goodbye to some of their more troublesome deals. Still, it’s not like the team can go out and splash seven-year deals across the headlines with the league’s top free agents unless they’re willing to say goodbye in other areas.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Free Agent Focus: Arizona Coyotes

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While the official start date of free agency remains in flux depending on when the playoffs end (the later of October 9th or a week after the completion of the Stanley Cup Final), many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Arizona has been in constant turmoil for two decades and now face an offseason with incredible challenges.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Christian Fischer – What happened to the promising young power forward that scored 15 goals and 33 points as a rookie? Fischer, a second-round pick from 2015, burst onto the scene with the Coyotes in 2017-18 as a 20-year old wrecking ball, using his 6’2″ frame effectively to punish opponents and create offense. Now 23, Fischer is coming off a nine-point season that saw him averaging less than ten minutes a night in the second half. That offensive drop off coincided with plummeting possession stats, while the playoffs didn’t bring much change. In nine postseason games, Fischer recorded just one point. He shouldn’t be expensive for the Coyotes to retain after that dreadful year, but a return to form for Fischer would go a long way in helping the Coyotes lengthen out their lineup.

F Vinnie Hinostroza – You can basically cut-and-paste the disappointing year quotes for Hinostroza, who scored just five goals in 2019-20 after tallying 16 in his first year with Arizona. The 26-year-old forward ended with just 22 points in 68 games, a substantial step backward for a player that was an exciting piece of the Marian Hossa deal in 2018. Unlike with Fischer however, Hinostroza is heading into restricted free agency for the final time, is arbitration-eligible and could potentially be a player the Coyotes walk away from if things are getting too expensive. He’s coming off a contract that paid him just $1.5MM this season, and it’s hard to imagine him providing much excess value for whatever the arbitrator awards.

Other RFAs: D Ilya Lyubushkin, D Jordan Gross, D Dane Birks, D Kyle Capobianco, D Vili Saarijarvi, D Jalen Smereck, G Merrick Madsen, G Adin Hill

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Taylor Hall – Here’s where the real tough decisions come for the Coyotes. Nick Merkley, Nate Schnarr, Kevin Bahl, and two high draft picks is what the Coyotes paid for 44 games of Hall. 12 goals, 33 points, and a first-round exit were the return, not exactly what they were hoping for when they made the deal with New Jersey midway through the season. Now, a team operating without a permanent GM is trying to sell Hall on the perks of remaining a Coyote, but it’s hard to imagine him taking any contract before seeing what’s available on the open market. The former MVP is still an excellent offensive player and he’s only 28. While his market may be significantly depressed by the flat cap, that doesn’t mean he’s going to come cheap. The Coyotes aren’t really in a position to be giving out the biggest contract of the offseason, meaning they may end up without a chair when the music stops on Hall’s free agency.

F Carl Soderberg – A veteran forward with a history with the Boston Bruins finished third in goals for the Coyotes in their first season in Arizona. Phil Kessel? No, it’s Soderberg, who ended up with 17 goals and 35 points in 70 games (Kessel had 14 and 38) while playing nearly 16 minutes a night. That ridiculous 14-point season in 2016-17 is the obvious outlier now for Soderberg, who has scored at least 12 goals and 35 points in each of his other six NHL seasons. After just one season in Arizona, Soderberg will be 35 next month and could find himself on the way out given the team’s cap crunch. You can bet other teams are watching to see if the veteran center will hit the open market as a strong depth option.

Other UFAs: F Brad Richardson, F Markus Hannikainen, F Beau Bennett, D Robbie Russo

Projected Cap Space

That flat cap will have several teams struggling to piece together the offseason puzzle, perhaps in Arizona most of all. Even without Hall, the team has more than $80MM committed for next season thanks to expensive extensions kicking in for Darcy Kuemper and Clayton Keller. Hossa’s $5.275MM cap hit will be kept on long-term injured reserve again to give some added flexibility, but even so, the team is going to be cap-strapped in the offseason. That’s exactly the reason why captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s name has already been floated in the trade rumor mill, along with several other of the team’s veteran defensemen—Alex Goligoski, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Jason Demers, and Jordan Oesterle are all unrestricted after next season.

If Hall is to come anywhere near a return to Arizona, the team is going to have to move some money out. Does interim GM Steve Sullivan pull that trigger, or will the team wait for their next front-office leader to be hired before issuing sweeping changes to the roster?

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Free Agent Focus: Washington Capitals

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While the official start date of free agency remains in flux depending on when the playoffs end (the later of October 9th or a week after the completion of the Stanley Cup Final), many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  Washington has most of their team already signed for next season but a few players of note will have their contracts expire next month.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Travis Boyd – Boyd is Washington’s only roster forward that’s slated to be a restricted free agent so he appears here by default.  He was actually quite productive in a limited role this season with 10 points in just 24 games while averaging just 11:45 per game.  The Capitals are going to need to go with cheap roster fillers so if Boyd is willing to accept something around the $800K he has made the last two years, he could stick around.

D Jonas Siegenthaler – After spending most of his first two seasons in North America in the minors, Siegenthaler held a regular roster spot this season, getting into 64 games which were mostly spent on their third pairing.  The 23-year-old also played in all but one of their playoff games which is a good sign that he’ll be part of their plans for next season.  He’ll be able to get more than his qualifying offer of $787.5K but as is the case with their forwards, affordability at the bottom of the depth chart will be critical.  Siegenthaler is worthy of a multi-year deal but to keep costs low, a one-year pact around $1MM may be the likelier outcome.

Other RFAs: D Kristofers Bindulis, F Shane Gersich, D Connor Hobbs, D Lucas Johansen, F Brian Pinho, F Daniel Sprong

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

D Brenden Dillon – Acquired from San Jose before the trade deadline, Dillon became an important part of Washington’s top four right away, averaging a little over 20 minutes a game before the pandemic hit and over 22 minutes per contest in the playoffs.  Offensively, he’s limited (surpassing the two-goal mark just once in the past six years) but he’s steady in his own end, can block shots, and adds a level of physicality that many teams will covet.  While a big raise isn’t likely, Dillon should still be able to command a small increase on the $3.27MM AAV he has played under for the last five years as there will be teams with an interest in using him on their second pairing.

D Radko Gudas – Dillon’s acquisition wasn’t good news for Gudas as it pushed him a little further down the depth chart to the point where he was scratched at times in the playoffs.  That doesn’t help his free agent case.  The change in scenery from Philadelphia didn’t allow him to show more in his new environment but rather solidified that he’s a third pairing option.  His physicality and the fact that he’s a right-shot player will still ensure that there’s a good market for him but as teams will likely look to go cheaper on their depth players in the flattened cap environment, the top price point of his market may not be much higher than the $2.35MM AAV he had this season.

G Braden Holtby – After a couple of quieter seasons by his standards, Holtby had a chance to stake his claim to the top UFA goalie available.  That didn’t happen.  Instead, he had the worst statistical season of his career with a 3.11 GAA and a save percentage of just .897.  Both of those were the worst of his career.  Holtby had an opportunity for redemption with Ilya Samsonov’s injury preventing him from playing in the postseason and his numbers (2.46 GAA, .909 SV%) were better but Washington was still ousted quickly.  Samsonov’s presence and Washington’s cap situation means that Holtby is almost certainly on the way out.  Had he established himself at the top of the free agent class, he would have been well-positioned to land a long-term deal.  Now, a short-term contract somewhere that gives him a chance to rebuild some value may be the better way to go.

Other UFAs: F Liam O’Brien, F Ilya Kovalchuk, D Tyler Lewington, D Colby Williams

Projected Cap Space

On the surface, having roughly $10MM in cap space to work with, per CapFriendly, isn’t too bad.  On the other hand, when you consider that they only have four defensemen under contract and could use a more proven second option to Samsonov, there really isn’t much to spend.  The majority of this team is already in place for next season and it will be up to a new head coach to get the most out of them.

Another factor to consider is that winger Alex Ovechkin is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.  Committing another long-term deal now could make it tougher to re-sign him and that’s something they’re not going to want to do.  Expect most signings to be short-term deals as a result which should also give them a bit more financial flexibility to work with and they’ll need every bit of it.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Focus: Anaheim Ducks

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While the official start date of free agency remains in flux depending on when the playoffs end (the later of October 9th or a week after the completion of the Stanley Cup Final), many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  Anaheim doesn’t have a ton of pressing contract negotiations but could use the period to add some more talent to the roster.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Kiefer Sherwood – You’d be right if you don’t think Sherwood is a key for the Ducks moving forward, but his appearance here shows just how much work they’ve already done to lock up their young restricted free agents. The 25-year old forward doesn’t qualify for Group VI unrestricted free agency after just two years under a professional contract, meaning his future will be one of the decisions the Ducks have to make this summer.

Sherwood ended up playing in 50 games as a rookie in 2018-19 after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Miami University (Ohio), but was limited to mostly minor-league duty this season. A capable scorer and bottom-six option for the team, he could be brought back on an inexpensive deal to fill out the depth chart.

Other RFAs: F Alex Dostie, F Deven Sideroff, F Chase De Leo, D Joel Persson

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

G Ryan Miller – Now 40, it’s not clear exactly what the future holds for Miller, one of the league’s best goaltenders over almost two decades now. In May, when the season was still paused, he explained that he had hoped to catch another Buffalo legend, Dominik Hasek, on the all-time wins list. Miller currently sits just two wins behind, meaning one last NHL season would likely get him there. He’s coming off a $1.125MM deal and could likely be brought back for close to the league minimum if he decides he wants to continue the chase.

D Michael Del Zotto – Remember when Del Zotto was a Norris Trophy nominee in 2012 after scoring 41 points in 77 games with the New York Rangers? That seems like a completely different player than the one who has suited up for three different teams the past two seasons. Del Zotto played in 49 games for the Ducks this season and is still only 30, but hasn’t been able to recapture that early-career magic in years. If he shot right, he might have a bigger market, but it’s hard to see him earning much more than the one-year, $750K deal he played on this year.

Other UFAs: D Matt Irwin, F Blake Pietila, F Andrew Poturalski, F Kyle Criscuolo, F Justin Kloos, F Chris Mueller, D Chris Wideman, G Kevin Boyle

*Patrick Eaves is also scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after his three-year, $9.45MM deal expires, but is expected to officially retire due to health concerns.

Projected Cap Space

Amazingly, even though they were one of the league’s worst teams, the Ducks aren’t exactly flush with cap space as they head into next season. The team has over $78.5MM committed to next season for 18 players per CapFriendly, though that does include the $6.875MM hit of Ryan Kesler. Kesler is not expected to play again, meaning that number will be transferred to long-term injured reserve giving Anaheim a little more flexibility. With no huge names on expiring deals they won’t be forced to shed salary, but moving out some of their underperforming-but-aging names could give them an opportunity to add in free agency.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Free Agent Focus: Winnipeg Jets

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While the official start date of free agency remains in flux depending on when the playoffs end (the later of October 9th or a week after the completion of the Stanley Cup Final), many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  Winnipeg doesn’t have a top-end player that’s in need of a new deal but quite a few regulars will need to be re-signed or replaced.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Jack Roslovic – The shine has come off of the 23-year-old a little bit over the last couple of years but he is still a useful forward for the Jets.  Once viewed as their second-line center of the future, Roslovic has spent the majority of the last two seasons on the left wing.  He set career highs offensively this season with 12 goals and 17 assists in 71 games while seeing his ice time jump up to just below 15 minutes per night during the regular season.  It’s still possible that he has a future down the middle though, especially with some of the uncertainty surrounding Bryan Little.  At the very least, with the slow but steady offensive improvement and his future role still undefined, Roslovic isn’t an ideal candidate for a long-term contract and will likely sign a short-term bridge deal.

D Sami Niku – For the last couple of years, Niku has seemingly been on the cusp of becoming a regular on Winnipeg’s back end but despite all of the turnover and injury trouble he had this season, it didn’t happen.  The 23-year-old has been quite productive at the minor league level with Manitoba but it hasn’t translated to much production at the NHL level as he has just 10 points in 48 career games with Winnipeg.  He’ll be waiver-eligible next season and figures to at least be a regular on the roster which presents a situation where he could take less than his qualifying offer to secure a one-way deal.

Other RFAs: F Mason Appleton, F Jansen Harkins, D Nelson Nogier, F C.J. Suess

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

D Dylan DeMelo – Initially regarded as a throw-in player as part of the trade that sent Erik Karlsson to San Jose, DeMelo has certainly boosted his value over the last couple of years.  This season, he spent a lot of time in Ottawa’s top four before being moved to Winnipeg just before the trade deadline.  The 27-year-old fit in perfectly with his new team and spent a fair bit of time with top defenders Josh Morrissey and Neal Pionk.  As a right-shot player that has shown he can play on the top two pairings, DeMelo is well-positioned to land a sizable raise on his $900K AAV.  Cap-strapped teams (and there will be plenty of them) will certainly be kicking the tires if he can’t agree to a new deal before free agency.

F Cody Eakin – Another trade deadline acquisition, Eakin is coming off of a down year offensively.  After picking up a career-high 41 points in 2018-19, his output dipped to just 15 this season although injuries and the pandemic skew that point total a little bit.  While he isn’t an option for the top six, he is a capable defensive forward and logged nearly 17 minutes per game for the Jets in the playoffs.  In a quiet center free agent market, he should have several suitors although he’ll likely be facing a pay cut from the $3.85MM AAV he had this season.

D Dmitry Kulikov – This was a bit of a bounce-back season for the veteran.  Yes, his $4.333MM AAV was still wildly overpriced but he managed to hold his own logging 20 minutes a night on the back end.  His days of being a fixture in the top four have been over for a while now but a year ago, it looked like he’d likely have to go overseas when this deal expired.  Now, there should be some interest around the league for him to play on a third pairing next season, albeit at a largely-reduced price tag.

Other UFAs: D Nathan Beaulieu, D Anthony Bitetto, F Gabriel Bourque, G Laurent Brossoit, F Seth Griffith, F Mark Letestu, D Luca Sbisa, D Cameron Schilling, F Logan Shaw, F Nick Shore

Projected Cap Space

With Morrissey’s extension kicking in for next season, Winnipeg is up to nearly $66MM in commitments to just 13 players, per CapFriendly.  With roughly $15MM in cap space to fill out their roster with another eight to ten players, it’s unlikely that the Jets will be able to afford another big-ticket contract.  The good news is that with a light crop of restricted free agents, they should still have some flexibility to work with on the open market as they look to retain or retool their back end.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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