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Free Agent Focus: Vancouver Canucks

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When the Vancouver Canucks entered the 2015-16 season, they were coming off a 101-point season and felt as though they had another strong shot at the playoffs, with Daniel and Henrik Sedin still in the mix and up-and-coming center Bo Horvat showing he was ready for a larger NHL role.  What they got instead, was a disastrous season filled with injury and ineffectiveness, leading to a 31-38-13 record and finished ahead of only the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers in league standings. This summer they’ve already started their re-tool, trading 20-year old Jared McCann to Florida for former third overall pick Erik Gudbranson. Here’s a look at what else they have to do this summer:

Key Restricted Free Agent: W Emerson Etem – After a deal that saw Etem move across the continent (for the second time), the former Ranger got into 39 games down the stretch for the Canucks.  A prolific scorer in junior – who tallied 143 goals in three seasons for the Medicine Hat Tigers, including a 61 goal effort in 2011-12 – Etem hasn’t been able to find much consistency in the NHL.

Now six years removed from being draft in the first round (29th overall), Etem has to show that he can be the offensive force he was once seen as.  Perhaps it will help that Canucks’ coach Willie Dejardins was Etem’s coach in Medicine Hat for two seasons before being hired on with the Dallas Stars.

He’s coming off a one-year deal worth $850,500 and shouldn’t cost much more than $1MM in his first season of arbitration eligibility.  With the other young forwards Horvat, Sven Baertschi and Jake Virtanen, Etem could be a long-term piece for the Canucks if he can ever reclaim that scoring touch.

Other RFAs: F Linden Vey, F Michael Zalewski, D Andrey Pedan

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: RW Radim Vrbata – While the Canucks struggle through the last few years of their now 35-year old franchise twins, another veteran is hitting the open market after a terrible season.  Vrbata seemed to have found the fountain of youth in 2014-15 after signing a two-year pact with the Canucks; he put up a career-high 63 points and broke the 30 goal mark for the second time.

This season, he lit the lamp only 13 times and collected just 27 points – his lowest mark since 2008 when he played just 18 games before heading back to his native Czech Republic to be with his pregnant wife. He’ll hit the open market as a 35-year old coming off his worst year and will probably have to settle for a one-year deal somewhere; it almost surely won’t be in Vancouver.  Vrbata was ranked 27 on our list of the top 50 free agents available this year.

D Dan Hamhuis – After another injury shortened season (this time from a gruesome slapshot to the face), Hamhuis is hitting free agency as somewhat of a risk, given his age and durability issues. While those issues may be somewhat overblown, Hamhuis isn’t going to get the big money deal he did a few years ago.

Even so, he is a strong shutdown defender when healthy and there are many teams who would love to have him in their top-4. If Hamhuis decides to take his talents elsewhere, he’ll try to catch on with a team with deep playoff aspirations as the 33-year old has only progressed past the first round once in his twelve year career.

Other UFAs: LW Ronalds Kenins, D Yannick Weber, D Matt Bartkowski

Projected Cap Room: $9.2MM, 21 players under contract.

The Canucks will continue their tear-down as they wait out the last few Sedin seasons, and look for progression from their young players. If they do sign any free agents, it would have to either be young players or cheap veterans that they’d look to deal closer to the next deadline.

We predicted them to sign both Lee Stempniak and Matt Martin, but look at other players like Sam Gagner or John-Michael Liles that fit in one of those two categories. It should be another long season for Canuck fans.

Free Agent Focus: Calgary Flames

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The Calgary Flames were a team expected to make strides with young talent bursting at the seams. It was a team coming off optimism from a strong playoff showing. Instead, the Flames muddled through the season, missed the playoffs and fired head coach Bob Hartley. The Flames are constantly mentioned as a hunting for a goalie, and still have some unfinished business as they look to lock up some young players critical to the organization’s future.

Cap Space: $23,232,933 (Via CapFriendly). 

Key RFA: Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Both are under 23 years of age. Both finished one and two respectively in goals and points during the regular season. And both are restricted free agents. Monahan is expected to cash in, with some reports indicating he could get as high as $7MM annually, while seeking out a long term deal. For a player considered a captain in waiting, at 21, it would behoove both sides to get a reasonable long term deal finished. Meanwhile, Gaudreau’s stock continues to rise. In March, it was reported that he was working on the biggest contract in Flames history. In another, it was written that he and Monahan both wanted to be in Calgary for years to come.   Any long term success of a franchise has included a dynamic one-two punch in terms of scoring forwards. Malkin and Crosby. Toews and Kane. Gaudreau and Monahan should be the next in line.

Other RFAs: G Joni Ortio, F Joe Colborne, F Josh Jooris, F Drew Shore.

Key UFA: G Karri Ramo. The goaltender, who was looked at to lead the Flames to another playoff appearance, struggled and then tore his ACL in February, casting doubt on his return to the Flames. Such a significant injury will hurt his stock in free agency, but a cheap deal in Calgary shouldn’t be thrown out. But with the Flames being constantly named as a team looking for goaltending, Ramo may be looking for a job elsewhere.

Other UFAs: D Jakub Nakladal

Outlook: If the Flames can add a premier, battle tested goalie, they can be a team that causes havoc in the Western Conference. They still have plenty of cap room to work with, even after signing cornerstones Gaudreau and Monahan to expensive deals that will keep them in Calgary for years to come.

 

Free Agent Focus: Arizona Coyotes

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The 2015-16 Arizona Coyotes were better than many expected them to be, finishing fourth in the Pacific Division. That said, they did have a losing record and feasted on lowly division rivals Edmonton and Calgary, going a combined 8-1-1 against the two Alberta teams. The team is built around superstar defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, with Max Domi, Anthony Duclair, Christian Dvorak, and Dylan Strome representing a deep prospect pool up front. Wily veteran and captain Shane Doan scored 28 goals at age 39. Ekman-Larsson lead the team with 21 goals and 55 points (7th among defensemen).

The Coyotes have already made a few waves this summer, hiring a 27-year old rookie GM John Chayka. Chayka has already made his first trade, acquiring the rights to pending UFA defenceman, Alex Goligoski. There have also been rumors that the Coyotes have made a big trade offer to the Maple Leafs so they can draft Scottsdale, AZ native Auston Matthews first overall.  Chayka has since denied the rumor, which had the Coyotes’ two first round picks (7th and 20th) going to Toronto with one of Domi or Dvorak for the first selection, calling it “ridiculous speculation”.

Cap space: $38.5MM, 13 players under contract.

Key RFAs: D Connor Murphy, W Tobias Rieder, D Michael Stone – Murphy and Stone have developed nicely into capable NHL defensemen, and will be qualified. Rieder scored 37 points in his sophomore season, and should be a solid middle-6 option up front for the Coyotes.

Other RFAs: D Jarred Tinordi, LW Sergei Plotnikov, D Klas Dahlbeck, D Kevin Connauton, and G Louis Domingue.

Key UFAs: Doan and Goligoski – the team’s captain and longest serving member (he was a member of the original Winnipeg Jets) is expected to re-sign with the team for one season at a time. ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun reported the recently acquired Goligoski and his wife are visiting Arizona this week to check out the city and meet with team officials.

Other UFAs: W Alex Tanguay, C Boyd Gordon, C Kyle Chipchura, F Viktor Tikhonov, D Nicklas Grossmann, and G Anders Lindback.

Outlook: The Coyotes have just $34.4MM committed to next year’s roster, which is $40MM less than the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins, have. According to Sportsnet’s Luke Fox, the Coyotes don’t plan on re-signing any pending UFAs other than Doan and Goligoski, so new GM Chayka will have plenty of money to spend rounding out their roster.

As well, big C Martin Hanzal is entering a contract year and will need to be extended or traded. Fox reported Chayka as being open to all options regarding the Czech centre.

Look for them to draft one of the high-end defence prospects at 7th overall, or attempt to move up and snag Scottsdale-native Matthew Tkachuk.

Free Agent Focus: Colorado Avalanche

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The 2015-16 season was a very disappointing step backwards for the Colorado Avalanche, who finished up 39-39-4 and missed the playoffs by 5 points. For a team that just two years prior had won the Central division with 112 points, it’s a steep two year decline. With a trio of elite forwards in Matt Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon, the team should never be that far removed from another excellent season. With rumors swirling around their defense corps, it should be an interesting offseason.

Key RFAs: D Tyson Barrie and MacKinnon – One of the most discussed players already this summer, Barrie has been rumored to be on the block after another excellent offensive season which saw him put up 49 points from the back end.

Barrie was a third round pick out of Kelowna in 2009 and has quietly become one of the better point producers in the league from the blueline. With 140, he ranks 11th in the NHL over the last three years in points from defensemen, ahead of players like Drew Doughty, Ryan Suter and Alex Pietrangelo. Those rankings are going to make him awfully expensive as he comes off a two-year $5.2MM deal that he signed when he was just 22.

If they do re-sign him long-term, Colorado will be committing a lot of money to two defensemen as they already have Erik Johnson signed at $6MM/year until 2022-23.

With MacKinnon, Colorado basically is going to pay whatever it takes. The former first overall pick has put up exceptional numbers from the moment he stepped into the NHL as an 18 year old, netting 153 points (59-94) in 218 games, all before his 21st birthday.

If the Avalanche can’t get him signed to a long-term deal that buys out a few free agent seasons, look for him to sign a deal similar to the one Duchene signed coming out of his entry-level contract.  After putting up three seasons that look eerily similar to MacKinnon’s (150 points in 219 games), he inked a two-year $7MM deal before the 2012-13 season.

Colorado might play it the same way, as Duchene eventually re-signed for five more seasons at $6MM/year buying out a couple years of free agency along the way. Having MacKinnon and Duchene for under $15MM together in a few years would be an ideal situation for the Avs as they continue to play at an all-star level.

Other RFAs: C Mikhail Grigorenko, G Calvin Pickard, C Andreas Martinsen

Key UFA: W Mikkel Boedker – GM Joe Sakic is on record as saying the trade deadline acquisition will be allowed to test free agency come July 1, but the 26-year-old Dane has not ruled out a return to the Mile High City. Despite Boedker never having reached the 20-goal plateau, it’s expected his ask will be around the $5-6MM mark.

Other UFAs: C/L Shawn Matthias, D Zach Redmond, RW Jack Skille, D Andrew Bodnarchuk

Outlook: The Avalanche will look to improve their defence core this summer. However, Sakic will need to think twice about any defensive help, as the team must protect Johnson and 35-year-old Francois Beauchemin in the expansion draft. Tyson Barrie will also need to be protected, meaning as it is hulking prospect Nikita Zadorov will likely be exposed. Also interesting will be the Avalanche’s goalie situation, with both Semyon Varlamov and goalie-of-the-future Pickard needing to be protected.

Despite Barrie’s success and Sakic’s insistence otherwise, it’s widely believed that Barrie will be on the move soon. With many buyers and fewer sellers, the market for defensemen will certainly be interesting to watch.

Free Agent Focus: Buffalo Sabres

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The 2015-2016 Buffalo Sabres finished with a 35-36-11 record, good for 81 points and 7th in the Atlantic. After finishing dead last the season before, the Sabres improved their record by 27 points. They will no doubt be looking to continue their upward climb and shift their rebuild into the next gear.

Cap Space: $21,871,309 (according to CapFriendly)

Key UFAs: G Chad Johnson and F Jimmy Vesey. After offseason acquisition Robin Lehner went down with an ankle injury in the Sabres’ opening game, Johnson stepped in and held down the fort admirably. He finished with a .920 SV% and a 2.36 GAA in 45 games. Given that Lehner is still an unproven commodity, the Sabres still need a capable backup in case things go sour. The Sabres have made big splashes in the past two off-seasons, so it is not be out of the question for the Sabres to go after a high-profile goalie and relegate Lehner to a backup role. That would leave Johnson as the odd man out, especially with young prospect Linus Ullmark waiting in the wings.

The Sabres traded for Jimmy Vesey’s negotiating rights on Monday June 20th, which we reported here. Vesey won the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA’s top hockey player, and was originally drafted by the Nashville Predators in 2012. Nashville traded the young prospect after they failed to sign him late in the season. Despite the trade however, Vesey’s camp maintains that he still plans to explore unrestricted free agency.

Other UFAs: F David Legwand, D Carlo Colaiacovo.

Key RFAs: F Marcus Foligno, F Zemgus Girgensons, and D Rasmus Ristolainen. Foligno is fresh off an ELC and looking for a reasonable raise as he enters his RFA years. The young forward finished last year with 10G and 23P in 75 games. Girgensons is also coming off an ELC and 7G and 18P in 71 games. While the Sabres would like to bring him back, the Latvian centerman is rumored to be considering signing in the KHL. Finally, Finnish defenseman Ristolainen finished fourth in team scoring with 9G and 41P in 82 games. He lead the team in playing time with over 25 minutes—three minutes more than any other player. Re-signing the former first-rounder is Buffalo’s main RFA priority.

Other RFAs: D Casey Nelson, D Jake McCabe, G Jason Kasdorf.

Free Agent Focus: Montreal Canadiens

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The Montreal Canadiens got off to a franchise-best 9-0-0 start in 2015-16 but were unable to sustain their success, eventually dropping all the way to 13th in the Eastern Conference.

With most of their team already under contract for next season, GM Marc Bergevin will have to be active in the trade market if he wants to bring in more than just one or two new faces.  Here’s a closer look at the few remaining free agents they have to deal with.

Key Restricted Free Agents: Phillip Danault was the centerpiece of the pre-deadline trade that saw Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann go to Chicago.  The former first round pick didn’t play a big role with the Canadiens after being acquired, averaging just 12:37 per game while picking up five points in 21 games.  Danault is expected to play a bottom six role for the Canadiens next season and should receive a short-term contract.

Winger Daniel Carr was a pleasant surprise last year.  The 24 year old rookie picked up six goals and three assists in 24 games with Montreal after starting the season at AHL St. John’s.  He is due a two-way qualifying offer of $840,000 in the NHL and $70,000 in the AHL but the team may try to convince him to take a smaller NHL cap hit in exchange for more guaranteed money in the form of a higher AHL salary.

Other RFA’s: F Michael Bournival, D Darren Dietz, D Morgan Ellis, D Joel Hanley, F Lucas Lessio

Key Unrestricted Free Agent: It was a down year for D Tom Gilbert who picked up just one goal and one assist in 45 games before a knee injury ended his season in February.  He’s coming off a $2.8MM contract and will have to take a substantial pay cut to get a contract in free agency.  He should still have some suitors for a third pairing role as mobility and shot blocking are still desired attributes on the open market.

Other UFA’s: D Victor Bartley, F John Scott, G Ben Scrivens

Cap Situation: Montreal has just shy of $64MM committed to 20 players already for next season, according to Cap Friendly.  After re-signing Danault and Carr, they should have enough money to sign one impact player on the free agent market.

Free Agent Focus: New Jersey Devils

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The first post-Lou Lamoriello year didn’t go as well as many fans in New Jersey would have hoped as the team missed the postseason by a dozen points.  GM Ray Shero has some work to do to if he wants to turn this roster into a playoff contender for next season.  Here is a look at their free agent situation.

Key Restricted Free Agents: Kyle Palmieri was a major bright spot for the Devils after being acquired at the 2015 draft from Anaheim.  The 25 year old winger posted a career best 57 points (his previous high was 31) while adding 30 goals, leading the team in both of those categories.  Palmieri earned just $1.6MM and could potentially triple that on a long-term deal.

Blueliner Jon Merrill is coming off his entry-level contract and has spent the last two years strictly in the NHL.  However, various injuries (including shoulder surgery back in March) limited him to 47 games last year.  Merrill is a candidate to move into a top-4 role for 2016-17 but may have to settle for a one year pact, allowing the team to evaluate how his shoulder heals and he how he fares in a bigger role.

Other RFA’s: F Reid Boucher, F Jacob Josefson, F Sergei Kalinin, F Devante Smith-Pelly

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: Patrik Elias missed most of last season with knee problems (and underwent surgery again back in May) but still managed to pick up eight points in 16 games, a similar points-per-game mark as 2014-15.  The 40 year old forward is clearly on the downswing of his career but still has the potential to be a second liner moving forward if he’s fully healthy.

David Schlemko was largely an unnoticed pick up for New Jersey last offseason but he wound up playing an important role for them, averaging 18:38 per game, good for fourth amongst Devils defensemen.  He also picked up a career high in points with 17 in 67 games.  Schlemko made just $625,000 last year but should be poised to receive a decent raise in free agency.

Other UFA’s: F Bobby Farnham, F Stephen Gionta, F Tyler Kennedy, F Tuomo Ruutu, F Jiri Tlusty, F Jordin Tootoo, D David Warsofsky

Cap Situation: The Devils find themselves with over $25MM in projected cap space, according to Cap Friendly.  They have 6-7 roster spots to fill but New Jersey is not typically a spend-to-the-max team so while they have a lot of cap space, their actual budget room is likely considerably lower.

Free Agent Focus: Ottawa Senators

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After a season in 2014-15 that saw the Ottawa Senators put up 99 points and make the playoffs, last year was a big disappointment. Despite having a legitimate superstar in Erik Karlsson on the blueline, Ottawa went just 38-35-9 and missed the playoffs by 8 points. Karlsson put up 82 points and is a candidate to win his third Norris trophy, and would hide a lot of flaws on any team with his exceptional possession and offensive numbers.

With a very young roster, the team is another cap-floor team like Carolina (which we profiled earlier today) and won’t spend anywhere near the $71MM cap. They do however have some important names to re-sign if they want to build this core together. Here’s a look at their upcoming offseason:

Key Restricted Free Agent: LW Mike Hoffman – Following Hoffman’s breakout 2014-15 season where he scored 27 goals, the former 5th round pick improved in almost every category this season.  Racking up 29 goals and 59 points, the 6’1″ winger moved to a spot on the top line and flourished in his new role, averaging almost 18 minutes a night.

Hoffman will turn 27 next season and will be looking for a long-term deal with the Senators this summer; paid $2MM last season, he’s earned a much bigger deal this time around.  If the Senators aren’t willing to commit long-term to the Kitchener, Ontario native, Hoffman could sign a one-year deal and become an unrestricted free agent next summer. If he could hit that 30-goal mark in 2016-17, he’d be in for a huge payday.

Other RFAs: C Ryan Dzingel, RW Alex Chiasson, RW Buddy Robinson, LW Matt Puempel, D Fredrik Claesson, D Cody Ceci, D Patrick Wiercioch

Key Unrestricted Free Agent: None. The Senators only have two players hitting UFA status this summer, and both Scott Gomez and Mike Kostka are insignificant to their future plans.  The 36-year old Gomez hasn’t been an effective NHL player in years, and Kostka is a minor-league journeyman who has never had NHL success.

Projected Cap Space: $17.5MM, 18 players under contract.

The blockbuster deal to bring over Dion Phaneuf from the Toronto Maple Leafs last season made a huge impact on the Sens’ salary structure going forward, inducing a cap hit of $7MM a season for the next five. Fortunately for Ottawa, Phaneuf’s deal was front-loaded and they’ll only be paying him $5.5MM in his age-35 season, despite the big cap hit.

It’s the NMC in his deal that may be troublesome for the Senators, as he’ll have automatic protection in next year’s expansion draft.  With Karlsson obviously also needing it, the Senators will only have one more defenceman protection slot to use on their other young blueliners.

Overall, the team is in good shape going forward without many anchoring contracts, and a large crop of young players.  They’ll try to get back to the playoffs this season, and may sign a veteran or two to help lead the group there.

Free Agent Focus: Carolina Hurricanes

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After a season which many fans and front office types would consider a success, the youthful Carolina Hurricanes came closer to a playoff spot than many believed they would. With a blue line that was built for today’s NHL, the ’Canes were quick and resilient, leading to 86 points and many encouraging signs.

The team even pulled the trigger on what was once considered an unthinkable trade, dealing long-time captain and face of the franchise Eric Staal to the New York Rangers months before he became an unrestricted free agent.  The return of that deal – two second round draft picks – has already been used to acquire another good young player, taking Teuvo Teravainen off the Blackhawks’ hands in return for paying Bryan Bickell this season.

The Hurricanes are a cap-floor team, meaning they will not spend the entire $71 million allowed this season.  They are, however poised for another season of growth, with Justin Faulk and Noah Hanifin leading from the back end.

Key Restricted Free Agent: C Victor Rask – Among the talented young forward group, Victor Rask stands out. His rise from second round pick to twenty-goal man has come quicker than many expected, eclipsing the mark in just his second NHL season. After what was an excellent rookie year (33 points), Rask proved he could skate with the big boys in 2015-16, racking up 48 points and tying $6MM dollar man Jordan Staal for second on the team.

While his possession numbers dipped playing against stronger competition, Rask is still only 23 and finding his footing among his NHL peers. Grouped with Jeff Skinner, Elias Lindholm and now Teravainen, he could be part of an excellent core going forward for the ’Canes.

Expect him to get something similar to the two-year, $5.4MM extension Lindholm received last summer. While Rask has slightly better production than Lindholm had at the time, he trails a bit in the pedigree department – Lindholm was drafted fifth overall in 2013 and broke in as a 19-year old.

Other RFAs: LW Brendan Woods, D Michal Jordan, D Ryan Murphy

Key Unrestricted Free Agent: F Riley Nash – Just a few days ago the ’Canes key UFA would have been long-time goaltender Cam Ward, but after re-signing him to a two-year $6.6MM deal, they have almost no one of importance headed out on the market.

Nash represents the best of the group, and after another underwhelming but effective season as a bottom six forward should get plenty of interest on the market. Nash will never be an offensive dynamo, but plays a smart possession game against some tough opponents. While it might be a bit disappointing given his first-round pick status, he’ll play for a long time in the NHL with this style.

He’s coming off a year in which he earned $1.15MM and chipped in with 22 points, seeing his ice-time drop off with the emergence of the other young forwards.  If Carolina doesn’t bring him back, look for him to get another deal around the league for somewhere under $2MM per season.

Other UFAs: F Nathan Gerbe, F Ryan Malone, W Chris Terry

Projected Cap Space: $22.5MM, 19 players under contract.

As stated above, Carolina won’t be spending up to the cap and are focused on the slow burn of rebuilding. That being said, they did have a cap hit of $61 million last season, and could have some money to spend this year.  After seeing Staal and his big contract shipped out, it would be surprising to see him back, but if they have concerns about James Wisniewski’s surgically repaired knee, they might go after one of the younger defensemen on the market.

Also watch for them to eat salary in return for assets like they did with Bickell, including being a destination for the $7.5MM cap-hit of Pavel Datsyuk after his retirement from the NHL.

Free Agent Focus: Boston Bruins

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The Boston Bruins were faced with a “win and you’re in” situation in the final game of the regular season versus Ottawa. Unfortunately, Tuukka Rask was a last-minute scratch due to illness, and his backup, Jonas Gustavsson allowed 4 goals in 8 minutes in the second period as the Senators routed the Bruins 6-1. The Flyers won later in the day to clinch the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

It was a bizarre season for the Bruins, coming off their first non-playoff year since 2006-07. GM Peter Chiarelli was fired and replaced by his assistant Don Sweeney. Sweeney got off to a rough start with Bruins fans, trading emerging blue-liner Dougie Hamilton to Calgary for three draft picks, despite the belief Edmonton (now helmed by Chiarelli) had a better offer on the table. He then traded longtime Bruins winger Milan Lucic to Los Angeles, resulting in the Bruins having three consecutive picks in the first round (13-15). Sweeney selected tough defender Jakub Zboril and wingers Jake Debrusk and Zachary Senyshyn. Senyshyn was a particularly controversial pick, as he was rated to be a mid-second round pick.

The Bruins went on to post 42-31-9 record, missing the playoffs after that brutal loss to Ottawa.

Cap space: $18.43MM, 16 players under contract

Key RFAs: D Torey Krug – Krug may have been the best defenceman on the Bruins last year, scoring 44 points and averaging 21 minutes per game. Krug underwent shoulder surgery after the season and may miss the beginning of the 2016-17 season. The diminutive Krug will be looking for a raise on the $3.4MM he made last year. With Zdeno Chara getting older, the Bruins are going to rely on Krug more than ever.

Other RFAs: RW Brett Connolly, D Colin Miller, D Joe Morrow, F Landon Ferraro

Key UFAs: W Loui Eriksson – the two-way scoring winger acquired in the Tyler Seguin trade scored 30 goals and 63 points in 82 games last season. Eriksson was widely expected to be traded or re-signed by the trade deadline, but neither happened. Eriksson is believed to be asking for around $6MM per season for 5-6 years. If the Bruins don’t sign him, they’ll be in the market for his replacement.

Other UFAs: R Lee Stempniak, C Chris Kelly, D John-Michael Liles, G Jonas Gustavsson, D Zach Trotman, RW Tyler Randell

Outlook: The Bruins have a busy off-season ahead, with two of their top players needing contracts, and a desperate need on the blueline. The Bruins have allegedly had conversations about acquiring Dmitry Kulikov from the Panthers, according to Joe Haggerty from CSN. Aging defenceman Dennis Seidenberg is a potential buyout candidate. The Bruins also have $5.25MM eaten up by a pair of third-pairing defensemen Kevan Miller and Adam McQuaid. McQuaid could be on the trade block to make room for a higher priced defenceman.

Expect Frankie Vatrano to spend the entire year on the Bruins roster after scoring 36 goals and 55 points in 36 AHL games. He also scored 11 points in 39 NHL games.

They shouldn’t have a problem protecting their current roster from an expansion draft, though goalie-of-the-future Malcolm Subban will have to be exposed.

Sweeney also needs to ensure leading goal-scorer Brad Marchand is under contract well before the trade deadline.

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