With the regular season behind us, player movement between teams is now almost entirely restricted. Teams are in the thick of hotly contested playoff series, and many players with expiring contracts have either concluded their campaigns or are playing crucially important games. The players still in action are playing games that could help determine what magnitude of contract they might receive in the summer.
In a multi-part series, we’ll take a look at each position group of the upcoming free agent class, and do a rundown on how those upcoming unrestricted free agents have performed this year. Which players have increased their odds of scoring a jackpot on the open market? Which players have potentially hurt their earning potential with their play? What are the stakes for these free agents in the playoff games that remain? We’ll break it all down here.
The Marquee Names
Alex Tuch, Buffalo Sabres
As numerous pending free agents have signed extensions to remain with their current team, Tuch has emerged as one of the very best players remaining on the upcoming free agent market. While there is still a chance that the Sabres could come to an agreement with Tuch, who is repped by Brian and Scott Bartlett, the most recent reporting from the regular season indicates there is still a gap in those negotiations.
Unless substantive progress is made in those talks, it appears Tuch, a native of the Central New York region, which is just east of Buffalo, could be playing out his final campaign with the Sabres.
If he does hit the open market, he’d be one of the most in-demand players available. Tuch was a focal point of the Sabres’ return from the Vegas Golden Knights in the Jack Eichel trade, and has blossomed into a legitimate first-line winger for the team. He scored a career-high 36 goals last season and has scored at least 20 goals in each full season he’s played in Buffalo.
He concluded 2025-26 with 33 goals and 66 points in the regular season, and has two goals and two assists in the Sabres’ first three playoff contests.
With the Sabres hoping get past the Boston Bruins and make a deep playoff run, Tuch is in a position where he could author some big moments with the entire league watching.
While Tuch has been in form, there are factors beyond just his play that are contributing to his immense earning potential this summer. Firstly, the number of players who have signed extensions and taken themselves off of the free agent market means Tuch will be one of the few borderline star-level players left on the open market. Secondly, the sharp rise in the salary cap upper limit means there are quite a few teams with cash to burn this summer.
That means more teams will have the financial bandwidth to enter a bidding war for Tuch. The more teams that aggressively pursue an unrestricted free agent, the more money that free agent is often able to make. That bodes well for Tuch.
Patrick Kane, Detroit Red Wings
Like many other aging stars who have already made massive amounts of money in their career, Kane has prioritized on-ice fit and stability over maximizing his earnings in his last few trips to free agency. He found a good fit for himself in Detroit, and the Red Wings would not have come close to ending the league’s longest playoff drought without his efforts.
Now 37 years old, Kane likely has a place in Detroit for as long as he wants to continue playing. His contracts are loaded with performance bonuses, and it’s likely his next deal, in whatever form it takes, will be laden with bonuses as well. While he’s not as tied to Detroit as other similar free agents are to their teams, such as Alex Ovechkin with the Capitals or Jamie Benn with the Stars, it’s tough to imagine Kane entertaining a full free agency process at this stage of his career.
The Solid Contributors
Bobby McMann, Seattle Kraken
NHL history is littered with offensive players who have changed teams mid-season and had slow starts in their new NHL homes. So much of creating offense is about chemistry, and the inherent challenge that faces these players is the fact that they’re entering lineups with teammates whose styles and tendencies are entirely unfamiliar to them.
With that said, some players change teams and find themselves able to hit the ground running despite those inherent challenges; Bobby McMann is one of those players. In his 18 games in Seattle, he scored 10 goals and 14 points, bringing his full-season production to 29 goals, 46 points.
The 29-year-old was dealt from the Maple Leafs as the team could not reach an agreement with him on a contract extension. It was reported that McMann’s asking price on his next deal, said to be over $5MM per year, was a little above where Toronto was willing to go.
Having authored a second consecutive season with at least 20 goals, it appears McMann has given himself a real chance to earn the kind of contract offer Toronto reportedly wasn’t willing to extend him. While he’s not a one-to-one comparable, the fact that Kiefer Sherwood was able to earn a $5.75MM AAV on a five-year term has helped McMann’s case for his next deal. He’s an endearing winger, a player whose hard-working style allowed him to grab hold of an NHL role.
As an undrafted product of Colgate University, which is a quality ECAC program but not one with an overwhelming record of producing NHL players, McMann faced somewhat long odds of becoming an impactful NHL player. But with his compete level, work ethic, and knack for finding the back of the net, McMann managed to beat those odds and become a valuable NHL goal scorer. After making just over $1MM on his last deal, McMann has positioned himself to land a massive pay raise as a free agent this summer.
Vladimir Tarasenko, Minnesota Wild
While Tarasenko’s star has certainly faded since his trade from St. Louis in 2023, he remains a capable NHL scorer and one of the better offensive options set to be available on the open market this summer. He was a mid-season trade addition in back-to-back years, first with the Rangers and then with the Panthers the following year. In Florida, he showed he could still be a valuable player on a contending team, scoring 14 points in 19 regular-season games and chipping in nine points on the Panthers’ run to their first ever Stanley Cup championship.
Fresh off of the championship, Tarasenko signed a two-year, $4.75MM AAV deal with the Detroit Red Wings. But after he only managed 11 goals and 33 points in Detroit, his lowest scoring total in a healthy season of his career, Tarasenko was dealt to the Wild for future considerations. The Red Wings, it appeared, were content to be rid of Tarasenko’s $4.75MM cap hit without needing compensation from the Wild.
That deal has paid dividends for Minnesota, as the Russian forward finished the regular season with 23 goals and 47 points in 75 games. At 34 years old, though, getting term on his next deal could prove difficult. Going on another deep playoff run – provided the Wild can get past the Dallas Stars in the first round – would certainly help position him to potentially get one.
Mats Zuccarello, Minnesota Wild
When the Wild originally signed Zuccarello, back in 2019 during the tenure of former GM Paul Fenton, the deal was largely criticized. Although most outside observers acknowledged Zuccarello was still a quality player, and the $6MM per year price tag was seen as fair, the length of the deal (five years) was met with concern.
ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski wrote at the time that “there’s simply no defendable reason” why the Wild decided to sign Zuccarello for such a long term. The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy echoed the sentiment, adding “Zuccarello will eventually wear down and he will still have term on his contract when that happens.”
That concern from the media was not unreasonable, of course, as Zuccarello was into his thirties at that point. But the deal aged fabulously for Minnesota. Fenton’s successor, Bill Guerin, led the team to a quick turnaround, fueled in large part by the arrival of superstar Kirill Kaprizov from the KHL. Zuccarello found instant chemistry with Kaprizov.
After scoring 37 points in his debut campaign in the Twin Cities, Zuccarello managed 35 points in 42 games in 2021-22, Kaprizov’s rookie year.
Since Kaprizov arrived, Zuccarello has enjoyed the best, most productive years of his career even as he’s aged deeper into his thirties. He scored a career-high 79 points in just 70 games in 2021-22, which is a 92-point 82-game scoring pace. He scored 67 points the following year, and managed 63 points (in 69 games) in 2023-24.
His scoring rate has fallen a bit below where it once was as other Wild forwards have emerged as key focal points of the team’s attack (namely 2019 first-rounder Matt Boldy) but has still hovered at a clear top-six rate. This season, Zuccarello scored 15 goals and 54 points in 59 games, his games played total limited by upper-body injuries.
Over the course of his tenure with the Wild, Guerin has shown a willingness to invest in keeping his team’s core intact. His faith in this Wild core has been rewarded this season, without question. Given how well Zuccarello has played, it’d be tough to imagine Guerin letting him walk.
It’s unclear what Zuccarello’s expectations might be in free agency. Assuming he wants to continue his career and play his age-39 season, the fact that Zuccarello is able to be signed with performance bonuses means Minnesota has some flexibility in the route they decide to take with his extension.
Eeli Tolvanen, Seattle Kraken
There are many former top prospects who, after losing their spot on their original team and landing on waivers, have begun a downward spiral in their career. That spiral typically ultimately ends with the player leaving for the European pro ranks or the minor leagues. At one point, Tolvanen appeared to be at risk of following that path.
He was ranked as one of the top prospects in the game in 2018, and broke into the NHL in 2020-21 scoring 11 goals and 22 points in 40 games. But he wasn’t able to build on his rookie season in Nashville, and by late 2022, found himself on the waiver wire. The Kraken, in just their second season in franchise history, placed a claim on Tolvanen. The natural opportunity that comes with playing on an expansion franchise allowed Tolvanen to revive his career trajectory.
While he still isn’t the star he was once projected to be, he has finally begun to deliver some of the offensive upside that had tantalized scouts in years past. He scored 16 goals and 27 points in his first 48 games with the Kraken, and added eight points in 14 playoff games.
That first campaign with the Kraken showed what was to come for Tolvanen. He has become a reliable middle-six goal scorer, hitting a career-high 23 goals last season. This year, he scored 12 goals and 36 points.
Tolvanen has taken steps to round out his game this season, which bodes well for him entering free agency. He didn’t sniff the penalty kill when he began his tenure in Seattle, but is now playing over a minute per game short-handed. In a free agent class short on ascending options, Tolvanen, at 27 years old, will represent a relatively rare commodity.
Oliver Bjorkstrand, Tampa Bay Lightning
For much of his NHL career, Bjorkstrand has been a model of consistency as a second-line scoring forward. The Danish winger has been close to a lock to score at least 20 goals and between 45 and 55 points when healthy, but his fit in Tampa Bay hasn’t been perfect. Despite averaging over three minutes of power play time on ice per game, Bjorkstrand’s production has been below the standard he’s set earlier in his career. Bjorkstrand finished the regular season with 12 goals and 32 points, well below the 21 goals and 46 points he managed last season.
A contributing factor to Bjorkstrand’s decline in production has been his role outside the power play. While he was a top player for Tampa on the man advantage in the regular season, he’s often occupied a bottom-six role at even strength. His 10:30 time on ice per game at even strength is below career bottom-sixers such as Pontus Holmberg and Zemgus Girgensons.
The playoffs have not helped Bjorkstrand’s case. He’s been unable to secure a spot in head coach Jon Cooper’s lineup, serving as a healthy scratch for all three contests thus far. Cooper has even elected to play journeyman Scott Sabourin, who at 33 has played in just 73 career NHL games, over Bjorkstrand.
That puts Bjorkstrand on somewhat shaky ground entering free agency. At 30 years old, he is in a position where he could reasonably get a medium or even long-term deal. But with the way his role has declined in Tampa, he could face a challenge trying to reach his current cap hit, $5.4MM, in free agency.
The Role Players
Ilya Mikheyev, Chicago Blackhawks
Despite the fact that his former team paid Chicago a second-round pick in order for them to take on his $4.75MM cap hit, Mikheyev has been anything but dead weight with the Blackhawks. 
The 31-year-old veteran is one of the most popular players in Chicago’s locker room, with The Athletic’s Scott Powers citing him as a player his Blackhawks teammates believe doesn’t get enough credit for his role.
One of the central reasons for this has been Mikheyev’s work as a penalty killer. He’s Chicago’s No. 1 forward option when killing a penalty, and his contributions have been a major reason why the Blackhawks have put together the league’s second-best penalty kill this season.
Mikheyev’s offensive game, which is a secondary piece of his overall value proposition, has come along well in Chicago as well. After scoring 20 goals last season, Mikheyev has managed 18 goals and 36 points in 77 games this year.
While his offense is never going to be a centerpiece of his game, he’s repeatedly shown he can still be a valuable secondary scorer. When paired with his defensive versatility, and the fact that he’s one of his coach’s most trusted players (he ranks No. 3 on the team in even strength time on ice per game), it’s easy to see why Mikheyev would likely garner considerable league-wide interest as a free agent.
There is, of course, a chance he doesn’t make it to free agency. Powers reported the Blackhawks’ hockey operations department highly values what Mikheyev brings to the table, and “have sought” to re-sign the veteran.
The Blackhawks have the financial bandwidth to offer Mikheyev a raise on his current cap hit with a two or even three-year term, but to this point, the team hasn’t secured Mikheyev’s signature on an extension. If he does make it to the open market, he’ll be the premier bottom-six forward on the market.
Corey Perry, Tampa Bay Lightning
Few players have been able to find a second wind in their career the way Perry has in his late thirties. The 2011 Hart Trophy winner was bought out of his contract with the Anaheim Ducks in 2019, and just two years later had to settle for a league-minimum one-year deal with the Montreal Canadiens. At the time, it seemed his NHL career may have been winding down. That proved to be far from the case.
Since he was bought out by the Ducks, Perry has been to the Stanley Cup Final five times – once with the Stars, Canadiens, and Lightning, and twice with the Oilers. Although he lost all five finals, he’s cemented himself as a uniquely valuable veteran role player. He’s kept up his trademark antics, getting under the skin of opponents in a way that endears himself to home fans while infuriating opposing ones. His speed has all but evaporated, but his hands are still intact and he’s capable of producing some secondary offense. He finished this season with 17 goals and 37 points, and managed 10 goals and 14 points in 22 playoff games last spring.
Perry is, without question, at the stage of his career where he’ll be limited to one-year contracts. But for as long as he can remain valuable at the NHL level, and still has a desire to play, he should likely see vast interest in acquiring his services.
The Kings signed Perry to a one-year, $2MM contract with up to $2MM in performance bonuses and a full no-trade clause. He has already earned a substantial share of those bonuses and could earn even more depending on how deep Tampa can make it in the playoffs. That’s the kind of deal Perry can expect if he decides to continue playing – a one-year deal with a significant amount in bonuses that also affords him a degree of control over where he might be traded.
Jack Roslovic, Edmonton Oilers
Roslovic has had an up-and-down NHL career, scoring at relatively high rates at stops and struggling to make a real mark in others. After he was a trade deadline addition by the New York Rangers, Roslovic settled for a one-year, $2.8MM deal to play 2024-25 with the Carolina Hurricanes. There, he scored 22 goals and 39 points, setting himself up nicely to rebound in free agency and secure a multi-year deal.
That didn’t happen, and he lingered on the open market until October, when the Oilers signed him to a one-year, $1.5MM deal. As an Oiler, Roslovic has performed to his career standards, scoring 21 goals and 36 points in 69 games. It’s difficult to say Roslovic has dramatically changed his stock from where it was when he last became a free agent, though last summer’s experience will most likely change his approach to the market. In a free agent class relatively light on offensive touch, Roslovic’s track record of scoring at a middle-six level, as well as his ability to play center or on the wing, should attract some interest.
Reilly Smith, Vegas Golden Knights
Now 35 years old, Smith hasn’t shown major signs of slowing down as a productive bottom-six winger. While he’s not what he once was – a player capable of scoring nearly 30 goals and 60 points on a championship-caliber club – he’s still someone most teams would be excited to have in a depth role in their lineup.
Averaging 13:41 time on ice per game, including sporadic usage on the penalty kill, Smith managed 16 goals and 26 points across 69 games. That’s a decline from where he was last season (13 goals and 40 points across two teams) but some of that can be attributed to the team-wide decline experienced by the Golden Knights as a whole, something that cost Stanley Cup-winning head coach Bruce Cassidy his job.
Smith was a free agent last summer and earned a one-year $2MM contract with a $1MM signing bonus and a full no-trade clause. It’s likely another one-year deal with some trade protection is in store for Smith, assuming Vegas is interested in retaining him.
Brandon Duhaime, Washington Capitals
Last season, Brandon Duhaime was able to show the league why he’s been able to hold down a regular NHL lineup spot despite his clear offensive limitations. The hard-working, physical defensive forward scored nine goals and 21 points while playing 2:14 per game on the penalty kill. Duhaime ranked second among Capitals forwards in hits with 165 (behind only Tom Wilson) and even chipped in three goals in 10 playoff games. In many ways, his value as an NHLer was at an all-time high.
But just as the Capitals took a surprising step back this season, Duhaime’s 2025-26 also showcased the limitations of his NHL profile. He only managed four goals and nine points in a full 82-game season, and saw his role as a reliable defensive contributor erode. His time on ice per game on the penalty kill was cut in half (1:06 per game this season) which meant his overall usage declined sharply. The Capitals’ penalty kill declined from No. 5 in the NHL to No. 14 year-over-year.
Set to hit free agency this summer, the Capitals’ downturn this season has come at an unfortunate time for Duhaime. It’s unlikely the league has simply forgotten how valuable he can be on a team that’s firing on all cylinders, of course, but he missed an opportunity to build on what was a real step forward in 2024-25. Instead, he, and his team, took a decisive step back. It would not be a surprise if that step back ends up costing him some money compared to what he might have earned as a free agent a year ago.
Kailer Yamamoto, Utah Mammoth
2025-26 has been an extremely important year for Yamamoto, whose stock across the league was on the decline before this season. The former Oilers first-round pick’s inconsistency cost him his role in Edmonton, and he elected to sign a one-year, $1.5MM contract with the Seattle Kraken with hopes he could rebound in a new organization. That didn’t happen, and he scored just 16 points in 59 games. He lingered in free agency until October of 2024, when he had to sign a one-year, two-way contract with a $500K guarantee and league-minimum NHL salary in Utah.
Yamamoto spent most of his first season with the Mammoth in the AHL, where he scored 56 points in 54 games as a member of the Tucson Roadrunners. He only earned 12 NHL games in 2024-25, and there was likely some concern he might be trending towards a career as more of a “AAAA” talent – a high-end AHL scorer only recalled for spot duty in the NHL.
He dispelled those concerns in 2025-26, playing the entire campaign in the NHL with the Mammoth. Averaging 11:47 time on ice per game, Yamamoto scored 13 goals and 23 points across 59 contests. He made head coach Andre Tourigny’s playoff lineup, and has registered three assists in three playoff games. Although he’s played on two-way deals in back-to-back campaigns, his performance this season has more than earned a one-way deal for next season.
Gustav Nyquist, Winnipeg Jets
Nyquist, 36, is a widely respected veteran forward whose blend of intelligence, skill, and work ethic has earned him the right to play in nearly 1,000 NHL games. He scored 75 points as recently as 2023-24, but the last two campaigns have been a real struggle for him.
As tends to happen with players who reach this age, Nyquist’s speed has almost entirely disappeared from his game, and he’s struggled to remain a consistently valuable player in the face of that decline. He scored just 28 points last season, and was held scoreless in six playoff contests. The Jets signed Nyquist to a one-year, $3.25MM deal with hopes he could reinforce their middle-six, but his 2025-26 season was emblematic of the Jets’ overall decline – he only managed a single goal and a total of 12 points across 51 games.
Nyquist’s extensive track record as a strong NHL contributor has commanded the respect of teams across the league. That’ll likely be enough to earn him another shot in the league with a different team. But his struggles over the last two years mean it’ll be almost impossible for him to earn a contract this summer that contains the kind of guarantee he received a year ago from the Jets.
Evgenii Dadonov, New Jersey Devils
Few players endured a more difficult 2025-26 season than Dadonov. The 37-year-old signed a one-year, $1MM deal in New Jersey last summer, with the deal also containing $2.25MM in performance bonuses. A fractured hand cost Dadonov the first month of the season, and then another injury caused him to miss time from late November through early January. By the time he was able to get into the lineup consistently, it was clear the Devils’ season wasn’t going as most had hoped. He ended up missing most of March after he was placed on waivers, and was a healthy scratch at times in April.
In total, Dadonov managed to play in just 24 NHL games this season, and scored just one point. After scoring 20 goals and 40 points for the Stars last season, one could not script a more challenging 2025-26 season for the player. Given his struggles to stay healthy and his inability to make an impact when he was at full health, it’s tough to imagine Dadonov will receive a massive amount of interest in free agency.
Mathieu Joseph, Los Angeles Kings
On some levels, Mathieu Joseph avoided serious issue in 2025-26. His decision to terminate his contract and sign with the Los Angeles Kings allowed him to stay in the NHL, avoid a lengthy stint in the AHL, and even get back to playing in the playoffs. That has helped him, without question. But despite signing with the Kings in early March, he’s still waiting on his first point. For a player who scored 35 points not too long ago (2023-24), that speaks to just how much he’s struggled to make his mark since leaving the Senators.
Now that his $2.95MM AAV contract has ended, we have been able to get a more clear sense of what Joseph’s value is seen as across the NHL. His pro-rated contract with the Kings was a one-year, $900K deal. Joseph has not dramatically elevated his stock in Los Angeles, so a deal around that magnitude is likely what he can expect to receive as a free agent this summer.
Others Of Note
Brett Leason, Washington Capitals
Like many players fighting to stay on the right side of the NHL/AHL bubble, a single season can have a significant impact on a player’s earning potential. Because so many of these players end up signing a succession of one-year deals, much of their value on the open market is dictated by their most recent season’s results, as well as the number of teams that happen to be interested in the specific type of player in question.
When it comes to Leason, 2025-26 has been an uneven year. On one hand, it’d be easy to argue Leason’s stock is trending down. He was a full-time NHL player from 2022 through 2025, and posted a career-high 11 goals and 22 points in 2023-24 with the Ducks. That performance earned Leason a one-year, $1.05MM deal to remain in Anaheim. Leason wasn’t able to build on that level of performance, and saw his goal total cut in half in 2024-25.
Leason made his greatest strides as an NHL player under head coach Greg Cronin, who the Ducks fired at the end of last season. The team didn’t re-sign him, indicating he wasn’t in the plans of new head coach Joel Quenneville, and Leason had an extended stay on the open market.
Despite being a regular penalty killer in Anaheim, ranking No. 3 among Ducks forwards in short-handed time on ice per game in 2023-24 and 2024-25, Leason wasn’t able to garner significant interest from NHL teams or assurances on an NHL role.
Had Cronin managed to land back behind an NHL bench for 2025-26, perhaps things may have been different.
Leason spent longer on the open market than most likely expected. It was reported over the summer that he was receiving KHL interest, but he ultimately did not elect to sign overseas. Instead, he opted for a PTO with the Minnesota Wild. That PTO did not lead to a full contract, so in October he signed an AHL tryout with the Charlotte Checkers. Later that month, he signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Capitals. The deal carried a league-minimum $775K NHL salary and a $250K AHL salary.
Since returning to the Capitals organization, the franchise that drafted him in the second round of the 2019 draft, Leason has made the most of his AHL opportunity, but has been unable to break into the NHL. He scored 14 goals and 44 points in 56 AHL games, easily surpassing his totals from his last stint with the Hershey Bears. But that solid AHL performance hasn’t landed him an extended look at the NHL level.
The past year has been a series of “what-if’s” for Leason. If the Capitals had remained in playoff contention the way they typically do, it’s possible Leason would have been more of a priority as a call-up given his NHL experience and time spent as a penalty killer in Anaheim. If Cronin had landed as an NHL assistant rather than an AHL head coach, perhaps he would have pushed for his team to sign Leason, given the level of trust he showed in him with the Ducks. But neither of those two factors, which are entirely out of Leason’s control, broke his way.
As a result, he’s spent most of this season in the AHL, playing in the minors for the first time since 2021-22. To his credit, Leason has made the most of his AHL season. But as it relates to his upcoming free agency, it may not be enough for him to land a more substantial NHL contract with another club.
Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Minnesota Wild
A veteran of over 300 NHL games and a Stanley Cup champion, Nicolas Aube-Kubel held a steady role for multiple teams over the last few years, often playing as a fourth-line winger or spare forward. His status as a reliable, if somewhat limited bottom-six winger gave him a solid foothold in the league, and his compensation reflected that. From the start of the decade through last season, Aube-Kubel earned at least $1MM per season, rising to as much as $1.5MM on the deal he signed in the summer of 2024.
Aube-Kubel’s decision to sign with the Sabres after a 2023-24 campaign that saw him skate in 60 contests for the Capitals proved to be an error, albeit a lucrative one in the short term. Aube-Kubel wasn’t able to earn the trust of head coach Lindy Ruff, and found himself playing games in AHL Rochester. He ended up traded to the New York Rangers in March, and played in just six total games for that organization, split evenly between AHL Hartford and the NHL.
This season, it appears Aube-Kubel has lost his once-firm grip on an NHL roster spot. While his one-year, two-way deal with the Wild contained a hefty $550K guarantee, he’s only earned call-ups to the point of playing in just six NHL games. As the Wild have geared up for what they hope is a deep playoff run, they’ve opted to add veterans from outside the organization (such as Michael McCarron and Nick Foligno) rather than call-up Aube-Kubel, who as previously mentioned is a Stanley Cup champion.
That Minnesota decided to expend assets to acquire veteran reinforcement for their bottom-six rather than recall Aube-Kubel signaled that they didn’t expect to utilize him very much at the NHL level. He’s unlikely to play in the playoffs, which takes away what would have been Aube-Kubel’s best option to re-establish himself in the NHL before free agency.
With that said, Aube-Kubel has still had a respectable season at the AHL level, even as AHL Iowa has struggled mightily as a team to find the back of the net. He was second on the AHL Wild in scoring with 37 points in 62 games, behind Gerald Mayhew. Despite falling to the wrong end of the NHL/AHL bubble this season, he should still be in line to receive a strong guarantee on a two-way contract this summer, assuming he elects to remain in North America.
Matej Blumel, Boston Bruins
Entering the 2025-26 season, it looked as though Blumel could be a sneaky candidate to seize a full-time NHL role during the season. He had a stellar season with the AHL’s Texas Stars in 2024-25, scoring 39 goals and 72 points in 67 regular-season games, to go along with 16 points in 14 playoff contests.
The Bruins, looking to rebound after a dismal season, were willing to give Blumel a one-way contract with an $875K salary despite the fact that he had under 20 games of NHL experience. Boston may have done so with the idea Blumel could translate some of that offense at the NHL level. The Bruins were seen at the time as a team with a need for more players with a real offensive spark, and there was some hope Blumel could provide that.
Entering the season, the Bruins gave Blumel every opportunity to land on their season-opening NHL roster. He was given looks in the top-six in training camp, and by October, was still being used for the preseason in a top-nine role with some power play time. Blumel ultimately didn’t earn an NHL role, and as the Bruins found their groove under head coach Marco Sturm, the team didn’t have a pressing need to roll the dice on Blumel’s offensive upside at the NHL level.
As one might expect, Blumel remained an exceptionally productive player at the AHL level, and scored 52 points in 58 games for Providence. But he’s only earned four NHL games this season, and hasn’t made an impact in the limited NHL time he’s gotten.
While signing Blumel was a worthwhile, if somewhat expensive speculative roll of the dice on a player who could conceivably have some offensive upside, it doesn’t appear that offense will materialize in Boston. Set to turn 26 in May, it seems unlikely Blumel will be able to receive the kind of deal he got last summer. But he should still be one of the top AHL scorers on the open market.
Scott Sabourin, Tampa Bay Lightning
While he scored just 13 points across the NHL and AHL this season, Sabourin’s 2025-26 campaign has been a real step forward in his career. The undrafted 33-year-old, who began the year serving a suspension, played in 26 NHL games this season, his most since 2019-20. He’s also scored a goal, his first since that year.
Sabourin’s value proposition as an NHL player has long been clear – he’s a relentlessly physical grinder who can be trusted to deliver big hits and handle himself in a fight. The Lightning have even trusted in that value proposition enough to dress Sabourin for two playoff games, in what has been an extremely physical first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens.
Despite a thin resume as an NHLer, he earned a $350K guarantee from the Lightning last summer. After playing in 26 NHL games for one of the league’s better teams, (and two playoff games so far) it’s likely Sabourin has lined himself up to once again earn a solid guarantee on a two-way deal for next season.
Photos courtesy of Bradshaw Sevald, Jerome Miron, Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
Yikes! After Tuch resigns in Buffalo the UFA list is bad!!!!