These Pending UFAs Mishandled Their Prior Trips Through Free Agency
In the NHL, some players welcome the chance to bet on themselves when it comes to unrestricted free agency. But not every player likes taking that risk, because there is always the possibility that the bet doesn’t pay off or that the player and their representatives misjudge the market and miss out on a payday. Sometimes, these players land big contracts later in their careers, and that is the hope for the three players in this article, who are approaching free agency again this summer and have another chance to learn from their previous attempts and finally cash in.
The first player on this list and one of the most recent is Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Matt Grzelcyk, who had to settle for a PTO this past offseason after his market never materialized despite coming off a career year. Grzelcyk posted a goal and 39 assists last season, playing all 82 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and was projected by AFP Analytics to receive a three-year deal worth $3.77MM annually. However, he ended up with a PTO and eventually signed a one-year, $1MM deal.
It was clearly a massive disappointment for the 32-year-old, and it’s hard to say exactly what transpired in his negotiations. His market did not develop as expected, and his contract fell well below the projected market value. Nonetheless, it should have been evident to Grzelcyk’s representatives that his market probably wouldn’t be very strong after the Penguins were unable to trade him at last year’s trade deadline. Grzelcyk remained in Pittsburgh after the deadline despite the team being well out of the playoff picture at that point, which suggested that teams weren’t exactly eager to add him. In any case, Grzelcyk is a free agent once again this summer after a disappointing campaign with the Blackhawks, and it’s fair to wonder if he will get a multi-year deal this offseason. AFP Analytics has him pegged for a two-year deal worth $2.8MM per season, but that may be a touch optimistic given his struggles this year.
Another player who struggled to secure a contract last summer was forward Jack Roslovic. The then 28-year-old was coming off a solid year with Carolina, where he scored 22 goals and 17 assists in 81 games. While his scoring stats looked decent, Roslovic was not exactly a seamless fit with the Hurricanes and benefited from a 15.8% shooting rate, about 3% higher than his career average. For the second consecutive summer, it seemed Roslovic misjudged the free agent market but didn’t land as softly in 2024 as he did in Carolina. In summer 2024, Roslovic signed with the Hurricanes on July 4 for $2.8MM on a one-year deal, serving as a cautionary tale for players hitting the market in 2025. Roslovic was one of those players, and unfortunately for him, his luck was much worse this time, as he had to settle for another one-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers, this time for $1.5MM.
Roslovic was projected last summer to sign a three-year deal worth $4.094MM, making his contract just over 10% of his projected earnings. He eventually changed agents and signed a one-year contract, setting himself up to hit free agency again. This summer, AFP Analytics predicts he could land a four-year deal worth $4.434MM per season, and it seems more likely this will happen given his new agent and the rising salary cap, while the free-agent class remains very thin.
Now we come to John Klingberg of the San Jose Sharks, who just a few years ago was a top-pairing defenseman with the Dallas Stars and helped lead them to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2020. Back in 2021, much of the conversation around Klingberg centered on his impending free agency, and he and the Dallas Stars were engaged in contract talks to keep him in Dallas long term. At the time, Klingberg reportedly wanted over $60MM on an eight-year contract, which would have him around an $8MM AAV, and while some sources said he turned down $7MM a season, he never came close to reaching those numbers on his eventual contracts and never even sniffed that kind of long-term security.
Klingberg finally reached free agency in 2022 and had to settle for a one-year $7MM contract with the Anaheim Ducks, then followed it up with a one-year $4.15MM deal with Toronto. Last season, he played part of the year under a one-year $1.35MM contract with the Edmonton Oilers before signing a one-year $4MM deal this season in San Jose. Regardless of what the contract discussions were like with Dallas, Klingberg left tens of millions of dollars on the table and could have avoided the stress of moving teams five times. Additionally, he went from a low-tax state like Texas to high-tax states and provinces such as California and Ontario.
The NHL is full of cautionary tales regarding free agency. For example, defenseman Cody Franson is a case from a decade ago, and Thomas Vanek is another. More recent examples include Anthony Duclair and Evan Rodrigues, who eventually secured their contracts after a few seasons of uncertainty. This summer, players like Grzelcyk, Roslovic, and Klingberg hope to cash in and recover some of the money they left on the table. The salary cap is expected to rise, which should benefit them, but none of these players have performed at their best this season, so they may face another challenging period in free agency.
Miro Heiskanen Undergoing Imaging To Evaluate Lower-Body Injury
The Stars lost Miro Heiskanen in last night’s win over the Wild with an apparent lower-body injury, toepicking as he received a hit from Minnesota center Ryan Hartman. He was never actually ruled out for the game – Dallas said he was questionable to return after he left in the first period – but it’s now clear he’ll miss at least one more contest tomorrow against the Rangers. General manager Jim Nill told Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News that the full extent of Heiskanen’s injury is still unknown and that he needs an MRI today to come up with a return timeline.
At this stage, anything more than a day-to-day or week-long designation would impact Heiskanen’s availability for the beginning of the playoffs. The Stars only have three regular-season games left and could begin their first-round series, which is already set against the Wild, as soon as eight days from now.
It’s not as if Heiskanen is the only injury Dallas’ back end is dealing with, either. Nils Lundkvist was scratched last night due to illness and remains day-to-day. Trade deadline pickup. Tyler Myers has missed three of the last five with an undisclosed injury and could sit out again this weekend after re-aggravating it, head coach Glen Gulutzan told Sam Nestler of DLLS Sports.
Those absences obviously pale in comparison to the prospect of losing Heiskanen, but the strain already on Dallas’ depth before the postseason starts is something worth monitoring. After knee surgery derailed Heiskanen’s season in January last year and kept him out until midway through the second round, he hasn’t missed a game due to injury this season. That’s allowed the 26-year-old to do some of his best work, racking up 54 assists and 63 points in 77 games. He’s averaging above 25 minutes per night for the third time in his career, ranks third on the team with 148 shots on goal, and has a team-high 39 takeaways as well.
Of course, the Stars managed to win one playoff round without Heiskanen’s services just last year. They surely hope they won’t have to do so again with the toughest path in the league through the first two rounds ahead of them.
If he does need to miss some playoff action, more will be needed out of Thomas Harley. The Stars have split him and Heiskanen up at even strength over the past couple of years, and while he looked like a true #1 in Heiskanen’s absence last season, he’s taken a step back in 2025-26. The 24-year-old has been limited to a 6-29–35 scoring line in 67 outings, his worst point-per-game output of his three full NHL seasons, and his possession numbers have taken a considerable hit. His 47.0 CF% and 51.9 xGF% are both career lows.
Miro Heiskanen Leaves Due To Injury
In desperate need of a win to keep playoff hopes alive, the Nashville Predators will have to do so without a top player. Just before puck drop in Utah, the team shared that captain Roman Josi won’t play, listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
The news comes as a surprise, but Josi played just 15:31 on Tuesday against Anaheim, far below his team-leading 24:50 average usage. In his place comes Jordan Oesterle, who was recalled earlier in the week with Nicolas Hague also out.
Oesterle, 33, will make his season debut having played over 60 games in the AHL for the first time since 2014-15. As far as fill-in defenders go, teams can certainly do worse than the Michigan native and his over 400 games of NHL experience. Never known for offense at the NHL level, he’s put up 46 points in 65 games with the Milwaukee Admirals, good for second on the team and by far his highest output as a pro.
For Josi to miss such a critical game, it raises the question if he’ll have to miss more of the team’s three remaining contests. Until that’s determined, Nashville must march ahead in their quest to hold off the Kings for a spot in the postseason. They’d be rewarded with a matchup against the league’s top team in Colorado. It would be an unfavorable matchup, to say the least, but a nice ending nonetheless for retiring general manager Barry Trotz.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Top defender Miro Heiskanen of the Dallas Stars left with an apparent lower body injury. He was listed as questionable by the team, but still has not returned, enough cause for concern. The superstar absorbed a routine hit from Minnesota’s Ryan Hartman, but as he fell down, his skate got caught and caused an awkward leg bend. As deep as Dallas is on the back-end, losing Heiskanen now would be devastating as they have a roster quite capable of hoisting the Stanley Cup this spring. It’s the worst fear of any top team in April. The 26-year-old leads all skaters with nearly 26 minutes a night, and fourth in team scoring with 63 points in 76 games. Still not officially ruled out, his status will be watched urgently for updates, as the Stars will be back on Saturday against the Rangers.
- Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson left tonight’s contest against the Flyers with an apparent injury, listed as questionable from the team, and didn’t return. Gibson was run into by Philadelphia’s Owen Tippett, ending his night after 30:40 in the crease, giving up two goals on 15 shots. It would take a relative miracle for the Wings to make the playoffs at this point, but they did themselves favors with a win tonight. Losing Gibson for an extended time could sink remaining hopes, as the 32-year-old has outperformed Cam Talbot all year. Often injured, Gibson has managed 54 games in his first season as a Red Wing, winning 28 of them with a 2.63 goals-against-average. He’ll hope to be back by Saturday, as Detroit hosts New Jersey.
- Pittsburgh Penguins forward Connor Dewar is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, per the team, and was unable to go against New Jersey. Playing without the 26-year-old for the first time this season, the Penguins still took care of business and officially clinched a playoff spot. In 78 games on the season, Dewar has enjoyed a breakout campaign with 14 goals and 30 points, career bests by a wide margin. He has quickly found a home in Pittsburgh, playing the highest minutes of his career and anchoring the penalty kill. With three games left, Dewar figures to be back in time for the playoffs, and could return as soon as Saturday against Washington.
Stars Expecting Full Healthy Lineup For Playoffs
The Dallas Stars have been dealing with quite a few injuries at this point in the season, and there has been some concern that the injuries could throw a wrench in the team’s plans of capturing its first Stanley Cup title since 1999. Head coach Glen Gulutzan alleviated some of that concern yesterday, when he expressed optimism to the media that the Stars would be getting back several of their injured players over the next two weeks. In particular, he noted that injured center Roope Hintz, one of the team’s most consistent forwards, is nearing a return to full health.
Hintz has been out since March 6 with a lower-body injury. He has 15 goals and 44 points in 53 games this season, and is Dallas’ No. 2 center behind Wyatt Johnston. Also injured for the Stars is Tyler Seguin, who suffered a torn ACL and is out for the season. Among the players Gulutzan indicated would at some point return in time for the playoffs are Radek Faksa (day-to-day, UBI), Sam Steel (day-to-day, LBI), Nathan Bastian (undisclosed), Michael Bunting (day-to-day, LBI) and Tyler Myers (undisclosed).
Latest On Nashville’s GM Search
The Predators are no longer the only team currently in the market for a new general manager after Toronto fired Brad Treliving earlier this week. That said, given that current GM Barry Trotz gave notice of his intention to step down just over two months ago, Nashville is much farther along in their search for a replacement.
To that end, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that the Preds are believed to be nearing the in-person stage of their interviewing process, if they’re not there already. He added that he believes Bill Scott (Oilers), Scott White (Stars), Brett Peterson (Panthers), and former Arizona GM John Chayka will be part of that process. Additionally, the team reached out to Win Hockey Agency’s Matt Keator to assess his possible interest but it doesn’t appear he is in the next round of interviews. Meanwhile, Friedman added that Predators assistant GM Jeff Kealty could still be in the mix as well.
Scott has held various roles in Edmonton dating back to 2010 when he first joined the team as GM of their AHL affiliate in Oklahoma City. Since then, he has also held the title of Director of Hockey Operations (including Director of Salary Cap Management) and has been an assistant GM for the Oilers since the 2022-23 campaign.
As for White, he has been with Dallas even longer, dating back to the 2005-06 season when he joined AHL Iowa as their Director of Hockey Operations. Before that, he had spent the past ten years coaching in either college of the ECHL. Since then, White worked his way up to being assistant GM of their AHL squad (now in Texas) and has been an assistant GM with the Stars since 2016.
Peterson, meanwhile, has held an AGM title with Florida since 2020. He also has some international experience, having worked with USA Hockey for the last two World Championships and will serve as the GM for their entry into next month’s tournament as well.
Chayka is the one candidate on this list who is well-known going back to his time with the Coyotes. After just one season as an assistant GM, he was promoted to the top job for the 2016-17 campaign and executed a data-driven approach. Along the way, he brought in several players of consequence (including Derek Stepan, Taylor Hall, and Nick Schmaltz, among others) while utilizing his cap space to add assets for taking on burdensome LTIR-bound contracts. He abruptly resigned from the team in July 2020, just before the ‘bubble playoffs’ started, and hasn’t worked in the NHL since then.
Kealty is certainly the longest-tenured person in this group; he has worked with the Predators since 2001. He started off as a scout, working his way up to Director of Amateur Scouting, then Director of Scouting (professional and amateur). Kealty added the assistant GM title back in 2018 and has held the dual role ever since.
With Trotz staying in his role until a successor is found and the draft still a little more than two months away, there is still plenty of time for the Predators to pick their next general manager. But it appears they’re a step closer to doing so now that they’ve entered the next phase of their search.
Stars, GM Jim Nill Agree To Two-Year Extension
The Stars and general manager Jim Nill have agreed to a two-year extension, the team announced Tuesday. Nill’s current deal was set to expire after this season, per Sean Shapiro of Elite Prospects, but it’s now clear he won’t be a candidate for any other GM vacancies this offseason.
Nill, 67, took over the GM’s chair in Dallas way back in 2013. When Doug Armstrong transitions out of his GM role with the Blues to serve as their president of hockey operations this summer, Nill will become the second-longest-tenured GM in the league behind only the Jets’ Kevin Cheveldayoff.
While the Stars have yet to win a Stanley Cup during his tenure, few would leave Nill off their list of the best of the best executives in the league. He has won the NHL’s GM of the Year award three years running and has finally emerged as a managerial fixture for Canada’s national team, serving as an assistant GM to Armstrong for their 4 Nations Face-Off championship last year and this year’s Olympic silver medal.
That’s not to say Nill doesn’t have any Stanley Cup rings. He has four of them, in fact, all with the Red Wings as their director of player development and then assistant GM to Ken Holland from 1994 to 2013.
Since Nill took the helm, he’s steered the Stars to a 549-345-125 (.600) record – the eighth-best in the league over the last 13 seasons. That includes a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020 and three consecutive Western Conference Final appearances, although they’ll have their work cut out for them to get back there again this season in a cutthroat Central Division.
There’s few areas in which Nill doesn’t excel. His draft record, particularly in the mid-to-latter half of his tenure, is impeccable. He’s gotten great value out of late-first selections like Wyatt Johnston and Jake Oettinger, second-round picks like Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson, while nailing his only top-five pick with Miro Heiskanen at third overall in 2017.
There are few trades that haven’t worked out in his favor – even stretching back to his first summer on the job, when his Tyler Seguin/Loui Eriksson blockbuster with the Bruins has ended up paying dividends for his club more than a decade later. A look at the Stars’ books reveals very few negative-value contracts, aside from a free-agency misstep with Ilya Lyubushkin in 2024, which he’ll be trying to offload this summer.
Nill will now get to continue steering the ship with the Stars set for playoff and championship contention for another few years, at least. He’ll be joined by a slightly new-look group of assistants that now includes Rich Peverley – acquired as a player in that Seguin deal – who has been either behind the Stars’ bench or in their front office since a heart condition forced him into retirement in 2014.
Image courtesy of Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was first to report the news.
Stars Recall Cameron Hughes
The Stars have recalled forward Cameron Hughes from AHL Texas, per a team announcement on Monday.
Hughes is expected to dress for Tuesday’s game against the Bruins in place of Michael Bunting, who left Sunday’s overtime loss to the Flyers in the first period with a lower-body injury. If he does, it will be the 29-year-old’s first NHL appearance in nearly five years. He only has two games to his name, one each with Boston in November 2019 and May 2021.
A sixth-round pick by the Bruins back in 2015, Hughes has since become an extremely productive AHL mainstay. The first sign of a breakout came when the former University of Wisconsin captain had 21 points in 25 games for the Providence Bruins in the COVID-shortened 2021 season. He has since played a top-six, veteran leadership role on two-way deals in the Boston, Seattle, and now Dallas organizations.
Ever since that initial breakout, Hughes has produced close to a point per game but has never been able to crack it. He’s found a new gear in Cedar Park, Texas, this season. Through 63 games for the AHL Stars, he has a league-leading 50 assists and is tied for second in overall scoring with 66 points.
A one-time AHL All-Star who was part of back-to-back Calder Cup Final runs with the Kraken’s affiliate in Coachella Valley, he’ll now get a chance to play fill-in duties for Dallas down the stretch. He can play both center and left wing, an important factor for a club now missing four regular forwards in Bunting, Radek Faksa, Roope Hintz, and Sam Steel, plus frequent press-box option Nathan Bastian.
Michael Bunting Leaves Game With Lower-Body Injury
- Already dealing with a few injuries to their forward corps, the trend continues for the Dallas Stars. During their ongoing contest against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Stars shared that Michael Bunting is unlikely to return due to a lower-body injury. Bunting has not returned after skating for six shifts, and the injury update was vague.
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Roope Hintz, Radek Faksa Expected Back For Playoffs
The Dallas Stars got a major boost to their forward corps yesterday when they welcomed back Mikko Rantanen. Unfortunately, they’ll likely have to wait until the Stanley Cup playoffs to have all of their forward depth back.
Like Rantanen, Faksa is dealing with an injury he suffered during the Winter Olympics in Milan. Meanwhile, Hintz has been recovering from a lower-body injury he suffered during the Stars’ loss to the Colorado Avalanche on March 6th. Regardless, being one of only two teams to have already clinched a spot in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Stars will spend their remaining nine games ensuring home-ice advantage against the Minnesota Wild in Round One.
Latest On Nathan Bastian
Pittsburgh Penguins legends Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin both were full participants in practice today, while Bryan Rust and Noel Acciari were absent for maintenance days, reported by Michelle Crechiolo, Penguins Team Reporter.
Head coach Dan Muse went on to say that all besides Malkin will travel with the team for tomorrow’s game at the Islanders, while his status requires further evaluation.
Crosby left mid-game at Ottawa last week, and missed yesterday’s 6-3 loss to Dallas. Meanwhile, Malkin has been out for the Pens’ last three games. As a result, they’ve secured just two points in that time while short handed up front. Pittsburgh has just one regulation win in their last seven tries, but the team is still expected to return to the postseason this year and cap off an impressive rejuvenating campaign.
Even if they’re not back to full strength tomorrow in a big inter-divisional tilt on Long Island, Muse should have his stars back in time for Tuesday against the desperate Red Wings.
Elsewhere across the league:
- The Blue Jackets will be missing Dmitri Voronkov tonight against Boston, per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. The forward left their last game after blocking a shot in the hand area. He’s thought to be week-to-week. Voronkov has 32 points in 63 games, a slight dip from last year’s breakout 47 point effort. The numbers are hardly an issue as he’s mainly deployed in a complementary role, and the team supplemented their forward corps by adding Mason Marchment and Conor Garland. Currently holding onto the second Wild Card spot, the club hopes they’ll be playing into late April, enough time for Voronkov to return.
- Stars forward Nathan Bastian won’t play tonight in Philadelphia, noted by Mike Heika, Senior Staff Writer for Stars.com. The forward was injured last night against the Penguins after a hand injury from a shot, similar to Voronkov’s above, and left mid-game. As a result Adam Erne will fill in. Both Bastian and Erne are virtually identical in their roles for the Stars. The former second-round picks were both signed for $775k to provide fourth line depth for the high flying club. Bastian has played 36 games so far to Erne’s 37. They have essentially the same stat lines, with six and five goals respectively, one assist each.