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Free Agent Focus 2023

Free Agent Focus: Los Angeles Kings

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Free agency is a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens.  There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Los Angeles Kings.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Gabriel Vilardi – Spending much of his 2021-22 season split between the Kings and their minor league affiliate, the Ontario Reign, this season became a pivotal year for the former 11th overall selection. With added pressure entering this season, Vilardi came through in a big way for Los Angeles.

Although losing some games to injury, Vilardi posted 23 goals and 18 assists in 63 games, finishing tied for fourth on the team in terms of goal-scoring. Defensively, Vilardi also held a positive advantage with the Kings, garnering 23 takeaways while only succumbing to 16 takeaways.

Aside from the topical numbers, Vilardi also aided Los Angeles with a 59.5 Corsi For %, showing that his deeper possession numbers progressed as well. Given the Kings’ salary cap situation, Vilardi may have to take a bridge deal, but he appears to be a player that Los Angeles may want to keep around for some time.

F Rasmus Kupari – Another first-round selection for the Kings (taken a year after Vilardi), Kupari has failed to break out in a large way. In 66 games for Kupari this season, he scored three goals and 12 assists, averaging about 10 minutes of ice time per game. Kupari has become a more physical player in Los Angeles, but he will need to raise his offensive prowess to be considered for a bigger role.

Other RFAs: F Jaret Anderson-Dolan, F Zack MacEwen, F Lias Andersson, F Aidan Dudas, F Samuel Fagemo, F Tyler Madden, F Nathan Schnarr, F Akil Thomas, F Taylor Ward, D Tobias Bjornfot, D Tobie Paquette-Bisson, G David Hrenak, G Jacob Ingham, G Matt Villalta

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

D Vladislav Gavrikov – Acquired in a trade deadline deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Gavrikov was exactly what Los Angeles needed heading into the playoffs. In 20 regular season games, he managed to score three goals and six assists but also managed a rating of +12 in an approximate average of 21 minutes a game.

In mid-May, it was reported that the Kings and Gavrikov were closing in on a contract extension, but little has been released after the fact. If Los Angeles and Gavrikov are able to come to an extension agreement, they will have added a formidable shutdown defenseman to their back end for the foreseeable future.

G Joonas Korpisalo – Also acquired in the Gavrikov trade at the deadline, Korpisalo finished the regular season with a 7-3-1 record, earning a .921 SV% and a 2.13 GAA after the trade. Korpisalo immediately became the starting goaltender the Kings desperately needed throughout the year but ultimately failed to help Los Angeles move past the first round of the 2023 playoffs.

In six playoff games, Korpisalo held a 2-4-0 record, only mustering a .892 SV% and a 3.77 GAA. As the playoffs conclude, and the Kings are determining their starting goaltender for next season, Korpisalo’s playoff performance may have scared Los Angeles away from making any future investment.

D Alexander Edler – If Edler does enter this year’s free agent market, he will likely have to settle for a league minimum salary. The longtime NHL veteran did the same last summer, signing a 1-year, $750K extension in Los Angeles, with another $750K available in performance bonuses.

Edler scored two goals and nine assists for the Kings this season and received just under 15 minutes of ice time per game, the lowest since his rookie season in the 2006-07 season. If Edler does continue his career, it will likely be with the Kings.

Other UFAs: None

Projected Cap Space

Heading into the offseason, the Kings are expected to have around $7.5MM available in cap space. If they do extend Vilardi and Gavrikov, those two contracts should eat into most of that remaining figure.

If Los Angeles is looking to make an addition, they will have to move out salary in some manner. With a loaded prospect system, if the Kings do move out a player in an effort to create salary relief, they are one of a few playoff teams to be able to fill that hole rather cheaply. As their young players continue to grow, there is a real possibility of Los Angeles returning a very similar team to the ice in 2023-24.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.

Free Agent Focus: Edmonton Oilers

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Free agency is a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens.  There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Edmonton Oilers.

Key Restricted Free Agents

D Evan Bouchard – Bouchard is coming off back-to-back 40+ point seasons and was an absolute wrecking ball on the powerplay in the playoffs for the Oilers as he put up four goals and 13 assists in just 12 games. Now those numbers are staggering, however all but two of those points came with the man advantage.

If the Oilers had infinite cap space, they would likely prefer to get their budding offensive defenseman on a long-term contract, however given their cap constraints they will likely need to look at a bridge deal for 2-3 years. There are plenty of recent comparables for Bouchard with Noah Dobson being the most recent. A two-year deal with an average annual value around $4MM appears like the likeliest of outcomes for Bouchard this summer.

F Klim Kostin – Kostin was finally able to make an impact at the NHL level after several years of struggling to break through from the AHL. The former first round pick had never topped nine points in any NHL season prior to this past year with Edmonton, he settled into a bottom-6 role after coming over in a trade from the St. Louis Blues and was able to post 11 goals and 10 assists in 57 games. The intriguing thing about Kostin is his skill set, he is better suited for a role on a skill line but saw very little of that this year as he rarely played with Connor McDavid and saw just 17 minutes with Leon Draisaitl (in which he scored twice). Edmonton will have a full training camp with Kostin and could have an opportunity to try him on a skill line to see if they can find a fit for a player who will be on a miniscule cap number. Edmonton was apprehensive to try Kostin on the top lines this season due to his struggles away from the puck, but with nothing on the line to start the year, it’ll be an experiment worth conducting. Kostin is likely due for a one-year contract that will be around $1MM.

C Ryan McLeod – McLeod has topped 20 points in back-to-back seasons while toiling away in the Oilers bottom six. He is a former second-round pick who was one of the few Oilers in the bottom six who could move the puck with both speed and purpose. While he is strong with the puck his defensive metrics leave a bit to be desired. McLeod is young and is likely just scratching the surface of what he could be for Edmonton long term. He is arbitration eligible this summer meaning that McLeod will have some leverage when it comes to his contract negotiations. He is coming off a season in which he posted 11 goals and 12 assists in 57 games so he won’t break the bank, however his next contract could eat into 1/3 of Edmonton’s remaining cap space.

Other RFAs: F Raphael Lavoie, F Noah Philp, G Olivier Rodrigue

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Nick Bjugstad – Bjugstad came over to the Oilers before the trade deadline and was just okay. He put up six points in 18 regular season games with the club and followed it up with three goals in 12 playoff games as the Oilers were dropped in the second round. This is the third time Bjugstad will test free agency in the past three years, but the first time he will do so coming off a season in which he topped 20 points. Bjugstad once looked like he would develop into a power forward but has never been able to assert himself in that way. He is a good bottom six option at this point in his career but likely one that has priced himself out of Edmonton’s plans.

C Derek Ryan – Ryan played admirably for the Oilers this season as their fourth line center putting up 13 goals and seven assists in 80 games. While it was a drop off in numbers from the year prior, Ryan was still a big part of a much-improved bottom six for Edmonton. Ryan is undersized and at 36 years old his best games are likely behind him, however if he’s willing to come back at a cap hit that is comparable to the $1.25MM he made last season, it is something the Oilers should explore. Ryan can still kill penalties and take a lot of the defensive zone draws, and if he can continue to chip in the odd goal it would be worth the minimal investment.

F Mattias Janmark – It feels like Janmark has been in the league forever but the Stockholm, Sweden native is just 30 years old. Janmark signed a one-year deal with Edmonton last summer and provided decent value on a $1.25MM AAV as he put up 10 goals and 15 assists in 66 games. Those kinds of numbers have been typical for Janmark as he has put up between 21-25 points in five straight seasons. At this point Janmark is what he is, a depth forward who can chip in offence from time to time.  Janmark will likely seek a comparable contract this offseason but given Edmonton’s cap constraints they may look elsewhere to see if they can find better value.

Other UFAs: F Justin Bailey, F Tyler Benson, D Jason Demers, D Slater Koekkoek, D Oscar Klefbom, F Devin Shore, D Ryan Murray, G Mike Smith

Projected Cap Space

Edmonton has precious little cap room to fill out their roster as they currently have just under $6MM in space and 17 players signed for next season. Filling out their roster with quality players is going to be difficult and as evidenced in the playoffs, this is a flawed hockey team that needs to upgrade in several key positions. Ken Holland has said he will return to the helm for their final season of his contract, and it may be his final kick at the can since he has been unable to get the Oilers over the hump and they have many of the same shortcomings they had when he took over the club four years ago.

The club has committed big money to Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl but both men are still playing on favorable contracts given their talent level. The Oilers have them locked up for a few more seasons but they are running out of time to build a Stanley Cup contender despite having two of the best players in the world.  The Oilers will need to make good use of their limited cap space and in a perfect world would be able to shed a bad contract or two. It’s going to be a busy summer in Edmonton as they look to regroup after another disappointing playoff exit.

 Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.

Free Agent Focus: Detroit Red Wings

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Free agency is now a little more than a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Detroit Red Wings.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Joe Veleno – As one of the higher touted prospects entering the 2018 NHL Draft, Veleno fell to Detroit at 30th overall, using the Vegas Golden Knights selection acquired in the Tomas Tatar trade. In his final season in the QMJHL, Veleno scored 104 points in 59 games, giving Red Wings’ fans a lot of optimism about his future.

Unfortunately, the relationship has been tepid up to this point, as Veleno reached a career-high in points this season, only scoring 20 points in 81 games. Although his offensive numbers have translated poorly from juniors, his play on the defensive side of the puck has actually improved considerably in his career.

Severely lacking in the faceoff dot, Veleno did have 30 takeaways compared to 17 giveaways this season. Throwing 152 hits as well for Detroit this season, Veleno carried a Defensive Point Share of 0.9, one of the highest on the team compared to the number of minutes played. If Detroit plans to cultivate Veleno into a defensive forward, they may need to move him out of the faceoff dot, but they will have ample space to continue his time wearing the Winged Wheel.

Other RFAs: F Matt Luff, D Gustav Lindstrom, F Pontus Andreasson, F Jasper Weatherby, D Seth Barton, D Jared McIsaac, D Wyatt Newpower, G John Lethemon

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Pius Suter – After not receiving a qualifying offer from the Chicago Blackhawks after the 2020-21 season, Suter became an under-the-radar signing for the Red Wings in the 2021-22 offseason. In his first season in Detroit, Suter scored 15 goals and 21 assists, improving on his numbers from the previous year.

Although scoring some big goals for the Red Wings this season, Suter took a dip in several departments this year. Although playing relatively the same amount of games this season, Suter had a 12-point drop in scoring, a 2.5% drop in faceoff percentage, and a 4.9% drop in Corsi For %.

F Adam Erne – Becoming one of the better depth scorers in Detroit during the 2021-22 season, Erne seemed to be an odd man out for the Red Wings this year. On February 4th, 2023, Detroit placed Erne on waivers, and he would go on to clear one day later. With prospects making the jump to the NHL for the Red Wings, Erne has appeared to become a casualty of the youth movement.

G Alex Nedeljkovic – Acquired in a low-risk trade with the Carolina Hurricanes, Nedeljkovic had a subpar showing in his first season in Detroit. This year, Nedeljkovic had an even worse performance. Clearing waivers on January 16th, Nedeljkovic played in nine games prior, producing a 2-4-2 record, carrying a .880 SV% and a 3.88 GAA. Getting a second chance in March, Nedelkovic improved, posting a 2-2-0 record, and a .920 SV% with a 2.33 GAA.

Other UFAs: F Alex Chiasson, D Robert Hagg, D Jordan Oesterle, G Magnus Hellberg, D Mark Pysyk, F Dylan McLaughlin, F Danny O’Regan, F Chase Pearson, G Victor Brattstrom

Projected Cap Space

Hoping to be on the back end of a rebuilding effort, the Red Wings will have $30.66MM available to them this summer. With 16 players projected on the roster next season, Detroit has ample availability to get creative.

Expectedly, many of the available roster spots will be taken up by some of the team’s many prospects, but the Red Wings will have the ability to shop at the high end of the free-agent market this offseason.

Whether Steve Yzerman weaponizes his cap space by acquiring contracts and draft capital, or by making an acquisition to significantly improve the team, the financials included in any transaction will not be a factor for the Red Wings this summer.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.

Free Agent Focus: Colorado Avalanche

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Free agency is now a little more than a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Colorado Avalanche.

Key Restricted Free Agents

D Bowen Byram – Although injuries once again took a large bite out of Byram’s games played total this season, a solid sophomore campaign cemented the 2019 fourth-overall pick as the third-best defenseman on perhaps the most dynamic ’D’ corps in the league. The 21-year-old bested defense partner Samuel Girard in points per game, average time on ice, and plus-minus this season, although more advanced metrics weren’t kind to either Girard’s or Byram’s defensive impacts this year. With Byram still just 21 years old, a long-term deal seems appetizing to keep his cap hit lower as the Upper Limit rises over the years. However, with a significant injury list that includes multiple concussions, Colorado could very well opt for a two or three-year deal to lower long-term risk. He would again be a restricted free agent upon expiry. While cap space won’t be a huge immediate concern for Colorado with captain Gabriel Landeskog’s injury, they’d still like to have money to spend in free agency to improve their scoring depth. Expect a cap hit in the $4-5MM range on Byram’s next deal, likely around three seasons.

F Alex Newhook – Newhook didn’t meet the lofty expectations set for him in 2022-23 after he was slated as the team’s second-line center heading into opening night. He was quickly surpassed on the depth chart by a player who we’ll mention later on in this piece, and he recorded a marginal 30 points whilst playing in all 82 games this season. The 22-year-old is still showing flashes of his 16th overall billing, so it’s not time to give up hope on him reaching that stage in 2023-24. However, it shouldn’t be an assumption for the second straight season – Colorado is likely to fill out the second-line center spot in free agency, and Newhook’s next cap hit will likely reflect that of bottom-six expectations. Given where Newhook’s at in his development, he’ll likely petition for a short-term deal, setting himself up for a payday from the team once he does reach his ceiling.

F Denis Malgin – Malgin wasn’t anyone you’d expect to see described as a key player at the beginning of this season, but after an early-season move from the Toronto Maple Leafs, he was a capable bottom-six scorer on a team sorely needing offensive acumen at the lower end of their lineup. Scoring 11 goals in just 42 games with Colorado, he finished ninth on the team in goals despite not arriving until close to Christmas. He’s been around the block, playing over 250 NHL games (including a stint in Switzerland that kept him out of the league for two seasons), and is in his final season of RFA eligibility. There likely isn’t much room for growth in Malgin’s game, but Colorado would do well to keep him around on an affordable two-year deal to give themselves some options when building out their third and fourth lines.

Other RFAs: D Wyatt Aamodt, G Justus Annunen, D Nate Clurman, D Ryan Merkley, F Ben Meyers, F Sampo Ranta

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F J.T. Compher – Arguably the savior of Colorado’s season, Compher broke out in a big way in 2022-23. He’ll be one of the most desirable free-agent centers in a weak market after playing over 20 minutes a night, recording 17 goals and 52 points in 82 games. The 28-year-old did shift to center almost full-time this year but is still proficient enough on the wing, so if Colorado goes out and signs a Ryan O’Reilly type to sit on the depth chart behind Nathan MacKinnon, it’s not an exclusionary factor to bringing Compher back. He’ll be earning a significant increase on his $3.5MM cap hit, however, likely to the tune of $1MM or $2MM.

F Evan Rodrigues – Another possible returnee, Rodrigues had his best offensive campaign to date in 2022-23. He would’ve set career highs had he played in all 82 games, posting 0.57 points per game (39 in 69). Entrusted with top-six minutes, the 29-year-old gave Colorado stellar value on his one-year, $2MM ’show me’ deal signed last September. He could very easily double his cap hit this offseason, especially if another team pries his services away.

F Lars Eller – Now 34, Eller’s still got what it takes to be the ideal archetype of a veteran bottom-six center. Acquired at the trade deadline from the Washington Capitals, the Dane is on track to hit 1,000 games next season. He’s never been a terribly consistent offensive talent from season to season, but his 23 points in 84 games this year were his lowest total in a full season since 2010-11. He’s best suited for a fourth-line role at this point, a spot Colorado may want to keep open for a younger player in their system. Finances shouldn’t be an issue if they do want to retain him, as he shouldn’t command much more than $1MM this offseason.

D Erik Johnson – The longest-tenured member of the Avalanche organization likely won’t be signing anywhere else this offseason. The 2006 first-overall pick waited until the playoffs to score his first goal of the season, recording just eight assists in 63 regular-season games, but Johnson has become one of the most-loved leaders in the Avs room and has stuck through the ups and downs of the franchise over the past decade-plus. After wrapping up a seven-year, $42MM contract, he could be brought back at league minimum.

Other UFAs: F Andrew Cogliano, F Alex Galchenyuk, F Darren Helm, F Charles Hudon, D Josh Jacobs, D Jack Johnson, G Keith Kinkaid, F Mikhail Maltsev (Group VI UFA), F Matt Nieto

Projected Cap Space

One thing’s for sure – general manager Chris MacFarland will have some room to play, although not for a great reason. Landeskog’s continuing knee issues will keep him out for 2023-24, and while they won’t have their captain on the ice, they’ll be able to repurpose his $7MM cap hit via LTIR. CapFriendly has Colorado slated for just over $20MM in projected pre-season cap space, meaning they’ll have an eight-digit figure to throw around in unrestricted free agency after locking Byram, Newhook, and Malgin up to their deals.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.

Free Agent Focus: Chicago Blackhawks

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Free agency is now a little more than a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens.  There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Philipp Kurashev – Finishing off his third season in the NHL, Kurashev has yet to break out in any significant way with the Blackhawks. He was able to provide some decent depth scoring over the last two seasons, playing in a total of 137 games, scoring 15 goals and 31 assists. This year, due to the roster construction in Chicago, Kurashev was able to average about 17 and a half minutes on the ice, almost five minutes more than the previous season.

Unfortunately, on March 23rd of this year, Kurashev injured his shoulder, keeping him out for the rest of the season. Although he has been unable to have either an offensive or defensive breakout, he should be able to receive an ample amount of playing time in Chicago. The expectation is that the Blackhawks will select Connor Bedard with the first overall selection next month, which will likely be the most significant acquisition of the team over the summer. If this is the case, there are no other players that should eat into Kurashev’s minutes in the Windy City.

F Anders Bjork – After being acquired from the Boston Bruins on the other half of the Taylor Hall trade, Bjork was supposed to continue to grow into an offensive talent for the Buffalo Sabres. Unfortunately, that did not come to fruition for either side, and Bjork was sent to the Blackhawks for future considerations at this year’s trade deadline. In a handful of games for Chicago, Bjork did show some offensive prowess, scoring two goals and six assists in 13 games.

D Caleb Jones – Coming over from the Edmonton Oilers to play with his brother, Seth Jones, Caleb has become heavily utilized by the Blackhawks. After all was said and done this season, Jones finished third in average ice time on Chicago, only placing behind his brother and Connor Murphy. He has shown quite the ability to block shots and make hits, accruing over 100 of each this past year. As the Blackhawks look to create their next generation of hockey talent, Jones should add some extra stability throughout this transitional process.

Other RFAs: F Austin Wagner, D Ian Mitchell, F Joey Anderson, F Hunter Drew, F Maxim Golod, F Cameron Hillis, D Jakub Galvas, D Alec Regula

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Andreas Athanasiou – Thought to be a rental heading into this season, Athanasiou performed rather well for Chicago. Needing a grain of salt when analyzing the output from any player on the roster this season, Athanasiou was still able to score 20 goals and 20 assists, finishing third on the team in points (first place after the trades of Patrick Kane and Max Domi)

Although he would likely receive first-line even strength and power play minutes on this Blackhawk’s team, Chicago will have to make a decision on whether or not Athanasiou will be the appropriate winger to place with Bedard. If the team does go ahead with that option, Athanasiou may once again look for a one-year deal, raising his offensive output next to Bedard, and fully cash in next summer.

If Athanasiou does test the open market, he shouldn’t have any shortage of suitors, being that he can provide above-average secondary scoring to just about any team in the NHL. Although failing under the leadership of Todd McLellan and the Los Angeles Kings, Athanasiou has shown a talent to score throughout his entire career.

F Jonathan Toews – The only thing that has been confirmed about the future of Toews is that he will not be on the Blackhawks next season. Moving forward, especially taking into account his health issues and injury history, Toews will likely serve in a bottom-six role on a contending team next season if he does choose to play. At the time of the announcement, Chicago was unaware that it would have the privilege of selecting Bedard at the 2023 NHL Draft, but Toews would seem like a natural fit to help Bedard adjust to NHL life.

G Alex Stalock – Hampered by a bout of myocarditis losing him just about all of the 2021-22 NHL campaign, Stalock rebounded nicely for Chicago this year. He still dealt with some injury issues, but Stalock was able to post a 9-15-2 record, coupled with a .908 SV% and a 3.01 GAA. These numbers should find Stalock a backup role next year, and he eventually may find his way back to the Blackhawks. However, with Petr Mrazek receiving the largest share of starts, and the rise of Jaxson Stauber and Arvid Soderblom through the Chicago organization, Stalock may find himself elsewhere next season.

Other UFA’s: F Jujhar Khaira, D Andreas Englund, F Buddy Robinson, D Andy Welinski, G Anton Khudobin

Projected Cap Space

For the foreseeable future, cap space shouldn’t be an issue for the Blackhawks. Heading into this offseason, the team will have $41.7MM available to spend, and they should be able to weaponize that through trades. Even if the team makes a splash by bringing in another high-profile player to slot up next to Bedard, Chicago will still have ample space to take on a bad contract or too from cap-strapped teams.

Although the likes of Mrazek, Tyler Johnson, and Nikita Zaitsev will all be available for contract extensions on July 1st, Chicago likely will not be making any extensions like this yet. As prospects such as Kevin Korchinski, Frank Nazar, and Lukas Reichel make the full-time jump to the NHL, and factoring in the likely draft choice of Bedard this June, the Blackhawks will have a lot of flexibility moving forward to keep these young players for the long haul.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.

Free Agent Focus: Carolina Hurricanes

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Free agency is now a little more than a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens.  There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Carolina Hurricanes.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Jesse Puljujarvi – After being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers at the 2022-23 NHL trade deadline, Puljujarvi did not take a serious step in getting his offensive production back on track in Carolina. In 58 games with Edmonton prior to the move, Puljujarvi scored five goals and nine assists, also increasing his physical play by managing 112 hits. After the trade, Puljujarvi managed 17 games with the Hurricanes, only scoring two assists. Things did not improve much in the playoffs, as Puljujarvi only played in seven of a possible 15 games. The Hurricanes will likely give serious consideration to non-tendering Puljujarvi, making him an unrestricted free agent.

D Dylan Coghlan – Coming over in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights last summer that also landed Pacioretty in Carolina, Coghlan was primarily used as a depth defenseman for the Hurricanes this season. Only managing to suit up in 17 games, Coghlan scored three assists for Carolina, averaging almost 13 minutes of ice time a night. To his disadvantage, the Hurricanes’ defensive depth was simply too deep for Coghlan to find any more playing time.

Other RFAs: D Maxime Lajoie, F Dominik Bokk, F Stelio Mattheos, D Cavan Fitzgerald

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Max Pacioretty – In one of the most disappointing storylines from the Hurricanes this season, the offseason acquisition of Pacioretty did not pan out for the team. Shortly after the team acquired him, Pacioretty suffered a torn Achilles tendon during an offseason workout, which ruled him out for the first several months of the 2022-23 season.

Upon making his return on January 5th against the Nashville Predators, Pacioretty immediately became the player that Carolina was hoping he would be. In five games played, Pacioretty scored three goals, providing offense to a team that was severely lacking in that department in relation to their spot in the league standings.

In a horrible sequence, on January 19th, two weeks to the day that he made his return to the ice, Pacioretty once again suffered a torn Achilles in a game against the Minnesota Wild. Although it will be both incredibly physically and mentally difficult to make a return to the ice following this injury, the Hurricanes could look to retain Pacioretty at a much lower price point, given his injury history over the past couple of seasons. If he is to make another return to the NHL, Carolina would surely benefit from the offense that he has been able to provide to teams in the past.

D Shayne Gostisbehere – Acquired from the Arizona Coyotes for a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the addition of Gostisbehere to Carolina’s defensive core shored up all of the edges. Re-igniting his offensive flame since joining the Coyotes last season, Gostisbehere managed back-to-back seasons of being a half-point-per-game player. In 23 games in Carolina, Gostisbehere scored three goals and seven assists, while also adding three assists on the Hurricane’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals this season.

F Jordan Staal – Finishing off the last season of a 10-year, $60MM contract extension signed prior to the 2012-13 season, Staal has spent the majority of his career in Carolina. Taking over as full-time captain during the 2019-20 season, Staal has become a foundational leader in the Hurricanes locker room. Although his offensive contributions have waned over the last several years, Staal is still very much capable of providing 30-40 points each season and still remains one of the better defensive centers in the game, highlighted by his faceoff percentage and takeaways.

G Frederik Andersen – One season removed from winning the William M. Jennings trophy, the 2022-23 season did not go as planned for Andersen. Dealing with injuries for much of the season, Andersen managed to play in 34 games, posting a 21-11-1 record, garnering a .903 SV% and a 2.48 GAA. In the playoffs, however, Andersen found his game, accruing a 5-3-0 record with a .927 SV% and a 1.83 GAA.

Other UFA’s: F Jesper Fast, F Mackenzie MacEachern, F Paul Stastny, F Derek Stepan, D Calvin de Haan, G Antti Raanta, G Zach Sawchenko, D Jake Gardiner, F Ondrej Kase, F Jack Dugan, F Ryan Dzingel, F Malte Stromwall, D William Lagesson

Projected Cap Space

For their financial outlook, the Hurricanes are projected to have around $24.1MM available in cap space heading into the summer. They currently have eight forwards, five defensemen, and one goaltender currently projected on the roster. This should be plenty of money to fill in their depth around the edges, and even make some improvements in other areas of the team.

On July 1st, major players such as Sebastian Aho, Martin Necas, and Brett Pesce will all be able to sign extensions, and that should be where the priority lies for Carolina this offseason. The Hurricanes only have three players currently signed beyond the 2025-26 season, and will have to find ways to keep their core around if they wish to continue being a regular Stanley Cup contender.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.

Free Agent Focus: Buffalo Sabres

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Free agency is now a little more than a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens.  There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Buffalo Sabres.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Tyson Jost – Jost looked like a good bottom-six option for the Colorado Avalanche when he broke into the league in 2017-18. He produced 22 points in 65 games in his rookie season and followed it up with 11 goals and 15 assists in 70 games in his second season. Unfortunately, Jost then struggled through the pandemic shortened seasons and was dealt to the Minnesota Wild in March of 2022. Jost’s struggles followed him to the Wild and he was claimed off waivers by the Sabres on November 19th, 2022. Jost was able to find a role and Buffalo and got back to the numbers he initially posted when he first came into the league. He put up 22 points in 59 games after coming over to Buffalo and will look to build on that next season should he be tendered a contract.

Jost made $2.25MM last season in the second year of a backloaded contract and isn’t a guarantee to be offered a renewal. The Sabres will likely tender the qualifying offer and take another long look at Jost before deciding if he is a long-term fixture in their core. Jost has yet to show the top-6 promise he demonstrated prior to being drafted tenth overall but given his age and pedigree he would be worth a look on a one-year deal for a cap number around his qualifying offer.

D Kale Clague – Thus far Clague has shown himself to be a capable offensive defenseman at the AHL level, but he has yet to establish himself as an everyday NHLer. This past season the 24-year-old rearguard dressed in 33 games for the Sabres putting up just four assists while playing over 15 minutes a night. He fared much better with Buffalo’s AHL affiliate in Rochester where he put up a goal and five assists in just 14 games. Clague will likely get another contract from Buffalo but given that the Sabres have seven defensemen already signed, he may be destined for another season split between the NHL and AHL.

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Zemgus Girgensons – Girgensons has been a good soldier for the Sabres through a lot of very lean years in Buffalo. He looked like a good middle-6 option for the Sabres back in his season as he had 15 goals and 15 assists in 61 games. But since that time seven seasons have passed and Girgensons has never topped 12 goals or 20 points again. The Latvian has been a strong defensive forward for the Sabres throughout his career, albeit an expensive one in their bottom six. The Sabres have always valued his ability to be trusted with defensive zone starts and have never really had a replacement for that when Girgensons has missed time due to injury.

Now with an opportunity to test free agency it will be interesting to see what value other teams place on what he brings to the table should he reach the market. Girgensons has a chance to cash in on what could be his last sizable contract, and although he won’t light up the stats sheet, his defensive metrics will be attractive to any team that values defensive analytics. Girgensons should receive a multi-year offer, at a salary that is likely less than the $2.4MM he made last season with Buffalo.

F Vinnie Hinostroza – Hinostroza is just a few years removed from putting up 16 goals and 23 assists in 72 games with the Arizona Coyotes, but this past season found himself healthy scratched before being put on waivers and sent down to the AHL. The 29-year-old responded by putting up nine points in 11 games with Rochester, but it was not a position he wanted to be in as he headed towards unrestricted free agency. Hinostroza will likely have to take a one-year contract at league minimum to try to rebuild his value and take another kick at free agency next summer.

Projected Cap Space

Cap space shouldn’t be an issue for Buffalo this summer. However, they will need to be careful how they allot their space because they will have a few large extensions to young players that they will need to leave room for in the future. Nearly all the Sabres defense core will require new contracts after this season including Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin. Up front forwards Casey Mittelstadt, and Peyton Krebs will also need new deals next summer. All four players will likely require large raises and for Power and Dahlin those two contracts could top $15MM annually when combined. Overall, Buffalo is in good shape for this upcoming season with almost $17MM in cap space and 21 players signed. But their core is about to get very expensive starting in 2024-25. 

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.

Free Agent Focus: Boston Bruins

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Free agency is now a little more than a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Boston Bruins.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Trent Frederic – Frederic earned a full-time role on the Bruins this season, which is an accomplishment when you consider the team won 65 games in the regular season, setting an NHL record. The 25-year-old center was a late first round draft pick in 2016 and just had his best NHL season. He scored 17 goals and 31 points, adding some offensive punch while routinely playing on the team’s fourth line.

Frederic is coming off a two-year contract where he earned just over $1MM per season. He signed that contract before he even became a regular in the lineup, so after scoring nearly 20 goals he will be looking for a big raise, and a bigger role on the ice as well. He has arbitration rights and a decent argument to make $2.5 – $3MM with his offensive numbers.

G Jeremy Swayman – Technically the team’s backup goaltender, Swayman was pretty busy, playing 37 games for the league leading Bruins. He posted a 2.27 GAA and a .920 SV%. Though he is just completing his entry-level contract, the 24 year old has played 88 career NHL games and has a 2.24 GAA and .920 SV% in that time. He has a great argument for a large raise on his $925k salary, and could earn as much as $3MM on a short-term deal which would give him a chance to really prove himself before cashing in on a longer contract.

Others RFAs: Samuel Asselin, Shane Bowers, Jakub Lauko, Marc McLaughlin, Kai Wissmann, Brandon Bussi, Michael DiPietro, Kyle Keyser

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Patrice Bergeron – Yet another Selke nomination (and likely winning) season in the books for Bergeron as he continues his reign as the best defensive forward in the game. The only question is, will he continue to play or is his career coming to a close? He played this season on a one-year contract with a cap hit of $2.5MM but a total value of $5MM when you include bonuses. Of course, the veteran is worth every penny, but is he going to sign another team-friendly deal?

At 37 years of age, and a long wait after the Bruins season ended to embrace his teammates, it appears Bergeron may be considering retirement instead of a return to the Bruins in 2023-24.

F David Krejci – Like Bergeron, Krejci played on a team-friendly deal this past season, but also appears to be considering the end of his playing career. He earned just $1MM in salary last season plus $2MM in bonuses, and scored 16 goals and 56 points in 70 games. The 37-year-old center played the 2021-22 season in Czechia and could be heading back there next season as well.

F Tyler Bertuzzi – Bertuzzi was a trade deadline pickup of the Bruins and could be in for a big payday if he decides to hit the open market this offseason. He fit in perfectly in Boston, scoring 16 points in 21 regular season games and ten points in seven playoff games with the Bruins. A bit of a scrappy winger, Bertuzzi adds a lot more than just offense and could capitalize on a rather weak free agent class this offseason.

The 28-year-old winger made $4.75MM for the past two seasons and is likely looking to add another $2MM or so to that on his next contract after a strong run with the Bruins and a 30-goal and 62-point season in 68 games in 2021-22. The Bruins will need to decide if they want to commit that to a winger, or hold onto that cap space to find centers.

F Nick Foligno – Foligno signed a two-year contract with the Bruins in 2021 and though he ended up being overpaid during that time, he did fill a valuable role on the team as an experienced winger who plays a scrappy style and adds a bit of scoring from the fourth line. The 35 year old had ten goals and 26 points in 60 regular season games and would be willing to return to Boston at a fraction of the $3.8MM salary he earned for the past two seasons.

F Garnet Hathaway – Another trade deadline pickup, Hathaway played on the team’s bottom six while bringing energy, physicality and strong defensive play. He also scored 22 points in 84 games split between the Washington Capitals and Bruins. Hathaway signed a four-year contract with a cap hit of $1.5MM with the Capitals in 2019 and played well in that time, earning himself a raise on his next contract. At 31 years of age, he may not get another four year deal, but a two or three year contract with a cap hit of $2MM would make sense, though the Bruins may look to spend their money elsewhere.

D Dmitry Orlov – Orlov was an elite fit on the Bruins lineup, earning the moniker (Orr)lov during his short stint in Boston. He arrived with Hathaway in a trade from the Capitals and clicked immediately on the left defense, scoring 17 points in 23 regular season games and eight more points in seven postseason contests. The Bruins already have big money committed to Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy on the blue line and may not have the space to retain Orlov.

The 31-year-old defenseman is arguably the most valuable player eligible to become a free agent this offseason, and would be wise to see what offers are out there for him. It has been suggested he wants to return to Washington, but wherever he ends up, he will sign a long-term agreement and it will surely be with a larger cap hit than the $5.1MM he has been earning since 2017. If he tests the open market, he could earn as much as $7MM on a five year contract.

Other UFAs: Tomas Nosek, Matt Filipe, Joona Koppanen, Vinni Lettieri, Chris Wagner, Connor Clifton, Jack Ahcan, Connor Carrick, Anton Stralman, Nick Wolff

Projected Cap Space

The Bruins show just under $5MM in cap space this offseason but they have some considerable holes to fill. If Bergeron and Krejci both leave the NHL, the Bruins are without their top two centers. Bertuzzi, Orlov and Hathaway were all trade deadline acquisitions but there is little chance they find the room to keep any of them with their limited space. Swayman has been excellent for them, and is just coming into his own at the NHL level, but will they be able to find space to keep him or does he get traded? Ideally, the Bruins would find a way to move Mike Reilly’s contract which has one year left on it at $3MM. This would open up a bit of space to re-sign some key players and fill out their roster. It will be an interesting offseason in Boston with so many holes to fill and not many dollars to spend.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.

Free Agent Focus: Arizona Coyotes

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Free agency is now a little more than a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Arizona Coyotes.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Christian Fischer – Fischer initially looked like a future top-six point producer for the Coyotes after being drafted early in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft. He scored 15 goals and 33 points in 79 games as a 20-year-old rookie in 2017-18. Unfortunately, he has not reached those totals again in his career, though he is coming off his second best offensive season. The 26 year old scored 13 goals and 27 points in 80 games and will now look for a bit of a raise.

At 6-foot-2 and 214 pounds, Fischer brings size and a bit of physicality to the ice, which gives him a little more value than just his offense. Fischer is coming off a one-year contract with a $1.125MM cap hit which he signed after scoring five goals and ten points in 53 games in the 2021-22 season. After basically doubling his offensive output on a per-game basis, Fischer will likely look to double his salary as well and try to get a few years of term on his deal as well.

F Matias Maccelli – Maccelli had one of the quietest strong seasons in the NHL this year. A bit of an unknown in hockey circles, Maccelli put together a strong rookie season and earned some mentions in Calder Trophy talks. He was not one of the three finalists, but once the ballots are released, I’m sure he will be one of the next few players on the list.

Dec 19, 2022; Matias Maccelli. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The 22 year old Finnish forward was a fourth round pick of the Coyotes in 2019 and has a strong AHL season in 2021-22 but really broke out with the Coyotes this season. He scored 11 goals and 49 points in 64 games which put him third on the team in points. He is just coming off his entry-level contract so he does not have arbitration rights yet which does not give the player much leverage. However, his point total will give him some reason to ask for a big raise, though the team will likely look for a bridge deal to see if he can repeat his offensive output while keeping his restricted free agent status following his next contract. A two-year deal with a cap hit of $2MM could make sense for both sides.

F Jack McBain – McBain was a third round pick of the Minnesota Wild but signed with the Coyotes after a four-year NCAA career at Boston College. While he developed into a star player at the college level, he is still just finding his way in the NHL. The 23 year old just wrapped up his first full NHL season by scoring 12 goals and 26 points in 82 games.

He has now completed his two-year entry-level contract but he burned the first year by playing ten NHL games following his college season ending just over a year ago. That means he does not have a ton of pro experience and not a lot of reason to ask for a big raise. The Coyotes were willing to give the young player a full-time NHL role right out of college and he would be wise to re-sign at a cap hit around $1M to continue developing his game in the best league in the world.

G Connor Ingram – Ingram earned the backup role for the Coyotes and played well behind a team that was not the greatest defensively. He suited up for 27 games and while his 3.37 GAA does not look great, he had a decent .907 SV% while facing a high quality of shots against. He will look for a small raise on his $733k cap hit from the past three seasons.

Other RFAs: Jan Jenik, Nathan Smith, Cameron Crotty, Ivan Prosvetov, David Tendeck

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Laurent Dauphin – Dauphin has proven to be a capable scorer at the AHL level in his career, but has not broken through to show he is a full-time NHL player yet. He played 21 games with the Coyotes this season and had just one point. The 28-year-old center now has 17 points in 94 career NHL games, though he did score 41 points in 48 AHL games this season.

Dauphin will sign another two-way contract with some team at a league minimum NHL salary but is destined for waivers at the start of next season on his way to another strong AHL campaign.

F Brett Ritchie – One part of the infamous brother trade that sent Brett to Arizona and Nick to Calgary, this Ritchie could now hit the open market. He had eight goals and 13 points in 50 games split between the Flames and Coyotes last season and will now look to sign another league minimum two-way deal for the upcoming season.

D Connor Mackey – Also traded from Calgary to Arizona midseason, Mackey was a promising college free agent just a few years ago and could prove to be valuable depth for a team like the Coyotes next season. He is currently playing at the World Championships after scoring seven points in 30 NHL games and his 6-foot-2 frame allows him to defend his side of the ice. He is a bit of a late bloomer, signing out of college at 24, and he is likely looking for a short term deal at league minimum as well.

Other UFAs: Michael Carcone, Bokondji Imama, Steven Kampfer

Projected Cap Space

Cap space won’t be an issue for Arizona this summer. In fact, they are going to have to be aggressive to spend to the cap floor. They have $27MM in cap space and need to spend about $6MM just to reach the league’s minimum salary for next season. They have been stockpiling draft picks and prospects but do not look to be ready to contend just yet. They will need to sign a few free agents or take on another dead contract like they already have with Shea Weber, Bryan Little and Jakub Voracek just to eat up cap space next season.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.

Free Agent Focus: Anaheim Ducks

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Free agency is now a little more than a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We begin our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Anaheim Ducks.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Trevor Zegras – After finishing as the runner-up in Calder Trophy voting last season, Zegras took a small step forward this season, setting new benchmarks in assists (42) and points (65) while matching his goal total from 2021-22.  That allowed him to lead the team in scoring this season.  As a center, the 22-year-old is well-positioned to land a significant long-term deal if that’s the way he chooses to go.  A max-term agreement could very well push the AAV past the $8MM mark.  However, with still five years of team control remaining (he didn’t play enough in 2020-21 to accrue a season of service time for UFA purposes), it’s possible that one or both sides look to a shorter-term bridge deal.  That would lower the AAV to somewhere in the $6MM range for now but potentially set Zegras up to push for much more down the road in a more favorable cap environment.  Whichever route they take, a big payday is coming his way.

F Troy Terry – In 2021-22, Terry narrowly edged out Zegras for the team lead in points.  This season, the tables were flipped but the 25-year-old still put up his second straight 60-point campaign after having just 48 career points over his first 129 NHL appearances.  One of the goals for Terry this year would have been to show that his breakout year wasn’t a fluke.  Mission accomplished on that front and he is set to reap the benefits.  Two years away from UFA eligibility, Terry will have arbitration eligibility this summer and it’s likely that GM Pat Verbeek will be looking to do a long-term agreement and avoid the potential for a hearing.  After playing on an AAV of $1.45MM the last three seasons, Terry’s next deal could more than quadruple that cap charge.

D Jamie Drysdale – At a time when the Ducks have all three top CHL defensemen, it could be suggested that Drysdale has fallen off the radar.  The 21-year-old suffered a torn labrum in the eighth game of the season and that was it for his year.  At that to the fact that he only suited up 24 times in his first year and Drysdale has just 113 total NHL appearances under his belt and the Ducks are working with a small sample size here.  Drysdale, a 2020 first-round pick (sixth overall), is still a significant part of Anaheim’s future but with such a limited sample size to work with and coming off a year that was more or less a write-off, a bridge contract is the likely outcome.  That could push his price tag closer to the $2MM range on a two-year deal and a bit closer to $2.5MM on a three-year term.

F Max Comtois – Two years ago, it looked like Comtois was coming into his own and was on his way to becoming at least a capable second-line power forward.  Players like those have a lot of value but then GM Bob Murray wanted to see if his performance was repeatable first.  That proved to be a wise move as Comtois simply hasn’t been able to play at the same level, failing to reach 20 points for the second straight season.  He’s owed a $2.445MM qualifying offer this summer which is a bit on the high side for someone struggling to produce.  On the other hand, losing him for free would sting with how important of a piece it looked like he was going to be not long ago.  Verbeek will need to decide if he’ll give Comtois one more chance under a new head coach or if it’s time to move on.

Other RFAs: D Axel Andersson, D Simon Benoit, G Lukas Dostal, G Olle Eriksson Ek, F Benoit-Olivier Groulx, F Bryce Kindopp, F Josiah Slavin

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

D Kevin Shattenkirk – While the stigma of having his four-year, $26.6MM deal bought out by the Rangers back in 2019 still exists, Shattenkirk has settled in nicely in a lesser role first with Tampa Bay and the last three seasons with Anaheim.  The 34-year-old has been a capable secondary producer throughout his career while becoming more of a willing shot-blocker recently.  His days of playing on the top pairing are gone but as a fourth defender capable of logging around 20 minutes a night, there should be some interest in Shattenkirk once some of the big names come off the board.  He had a $3.9MM AAV on his deal with Anaheim and the veteran should be able to come somewhat close to that on his next contract.

G Anthony Stolarz – This season was one to forget for Stolarz (the same can basically be said for many of Anaheim’s veterans) but prior to that, he has shown some promise in limited duty, including a .917 SV% in 23 starts back in 2021-22.  The 29-year-old isn’t going to be near the top of the market for goaltenders but budget-conscious teams looking for a cheap second-stringer with a bit of upside should be looking his way.  That mindset will likely describe a few teams which should give Stolarz a decent market and a shot at surpassing the $1MM mark for the first time in his career.

F Derek Grant – It wasn’t a great platform year for the veteran who had multiple stints on injured reserve, limiting him to just 46 games.  However, he still managed to pick up 18 points in those contests, a year after collecting 15 goals and 29 points, both career highs.  The 33-year-old also won more than 55% of his faceoffs while logging plenty of ice time shorthanded.  Now with over 400 games under his belt, Grant is well-known at this point as a defensively capable middleman that can chip in a bit offensively.  Those players don’t get big contracts in free agency but he should have several offers that come in around the $1.5MM he has made in each of the last three seasons.

Other UFAs: D Nathan Beaulieu, D Michael Del Zotto, D Scott Harrington, F Justin Kirkland, F Jayson Megna, D John Moore, D Olli Juolevi, D Chase Priskie, F Dylan Sikura, D Andrej Sustr

Projected Cap Space

Cap space won’t be an issue for Anaheim this offseason as they currently have more than $39MM in cap space based on the projected $83.5MM Upper Limit for next season.  New deals for Zegras and Terry will take a sizable chunk out of that but the Ducks still project to be well under the cap for 2023-24, one that is expected to be another rebuilding effort.  If there is budget room for them to take on a bad contract or two while being compensated for it with prospects and/or draft picks, they could be a team to watch for in the coming weeks.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.

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