Cost Per Point: The Best Value Deals In The NHL
When working with a salary cap, especially one that has not been increasing as expected in recent year, it is vital for general managers to get the most production out of their players. Teams with players who meet the expected level of production implied by their contracts and teams that lack wasted dollars in bad, expensive deals are often the same teams that thrive in today’s NHL. Forget market size or free agent appeal, the key to a winning franchise nowadays is getting the best bang for your buck on every player on the roster. While no player can be fully quantified by their scoring, cost per point is an easy way to look at which players are producing at the most team-friendly rate and which have been more of a cap space killer than a positive member of the team. Thanks to CapFriendly, that information is readily available to fans and NHL executives alike.
The benchmark for this metric is about $100K/point, as GM’s expect those big-time forwards and offensive defenseman who they award with $6MM, $7MM, and $8MM per year contracts to be putting up 60, 70, or 80 points respectively. For the second year in a row, St. Louis Blues superstar Vladimir Tarasenko was the poster boy for this standard, coming in at exactly $100K/point with 75 points on a $7.5MM deal. Winnipeg’s Bryan Little and New Jersey’s Adam Henrique are two other notable names that hit the mark exactly, while phenoms like Sidney Crosby and Duncan Keith landing close to the $100K/point mark show that it is an accurate expectation.
However, the exception to the rule is obviously entry-level contracts. It is no secret that drafting and developing well is the best way to improve you team, beginning with affordable scoring from players on their rookie deals. Nowhere is that more apparent than in cost per point, where nine of the top ten and 17 of the top 20 best contracts were rookie deals. To no one surprise, 20-year-old MVP Connor McDavid and his 100 points on a $925K entry-level contract was far and away the best bargain in hockey. McDavid cost the Oilers only $9,250 per point in 2016-17. That will all change soon, as McDavid is set to begin an eight-year, $100MM contract in 2018-19, after which a 100-point campaign will cost Edmonton $125,000/point, closer to the expectations of a standard contract. For now, the Oilers can enjoy one more year of McDavid likely being the best deal in the NHL, as well as the best player. Entry-level deals joining McDavid in the top ten last year (in order) were Viktor Arvidsson, Artemi Panarin, teammate Leon Draisaitl, Conor Sheary, David Pastrnak, Auston Matthews, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Patrik Laine. Not all entry-level deals are created equal, so while Draisaitl and Pastrnak were second and fourth respectively in entry-level scoring, they were also on the ELC maximum deal of $925K and of slightly lesser value to their teams than the likes of Arvidsson ($632K) and Sheary ($667.5K). Panarin had the best contract in the league in 2015-16 and fell only to third with $10,980/point for the Chicago Blackhawks. Now in Columbus and on a two-year, $12MM deal, the Blue Jackets have to hope that they can continue to get 70+ point seasons out of him to maximize the value of that deal.
So, entry-level contracts aside, who was the best contract in hockey last season? Another easy answer, former Blue Jacket gamble Sam Gagner. After a horrendous 2015-16 campaign with the Philadelphia Flyers, Gagner struggled to find a new team last summer, eventually settling on a $650K “show me” deal with Columbus. Right away people tagged that contract, for a six-time 40+ point scorer, as an absolute bargain, even if Gagner simply bounced back to normal production. He did one better, posting a career-high 50 points for the Jackets and coming in at $13K/point, good enough for sixth in the NHL. Gagner has since moved on to the Vancouver Canucks, signing a three-year, $9.45MM contract on July 1st. However, if he is able to continue to produce at 40-50 point levels over that deal, his $3.15MM cap hit will remain a great bargain deal. Behind Gagner, another player on the move this summer, former Florida Panther and current Vegas Golden Knight Jonathan Marchessault had the 13th-ranked cost per point last year at $14,706/point. Marchessault had a breakout year, netting 51 points in the first season of a two-year, $1.5MM deal. Rather than take advantage of one more $750K season for a 30-goal scorer, the Panthers allowed Marchessault to be selected in the Expansion Draft and Vegas surely hopes he continues to be one of the best values in hockey in 2017-18. The final contract in the top 20 not belonging to an entry-level player, and the only 35+ veteran contract in the top 50, belongs to Marchessault’s replacement in Florida, Radim Vrbata. Vrbata returned home to Arizona last season after a down year in Vancouver the season prior, and the swift 36-year old proceeded to score 55 points, more than double his previous year’s total. On a one-year deal with a $1MM base salary, that only cost the Coyotes $18,182/point last season. Now at a base salary of $2.5MM in Florida, the Panthers hope that Vrbata isn’t starting to slow down just yet. Other impressive value contracts included Patrick Eaves, whose breakout season in Dallas led to a trade and subsequent extension with the Anaheim Ducks, Derek Ryan, who shocked the hockey world with 29 points for the Carolina Hurricanes in his first full NHL season at age 30, and a quartet of recently re-signed RFAs in Richard Panik, Ryan Dzingel, Ryan Spooner, and Jordan Martinook.
With the good comes the bad, and there were certainly some poor value contracts in the NHL last year. Many of the worst belong to players who were injured or AHL depth players that saw only limited time. With zero points in 13 games with a $1.25MM cap hit, Tampa Bay Lightning winger Erik Condra‘s value was not even quantifiable it was so bad, and at the highest salary of any player who went pointless last season. Limited to just 18 games with only four points, another Bolts forward, Ryan Callahan, was one of the worst values due to injury with $1.45MM per point on his $5.8MM cap hit. However, the truly worst contract in the NHL has to belong to a player that player a majority of the season. Sadly for a Detroit fan base that is already feeling pretty down-and-out, that designation belongs to Red Wings defenseman Danny DeKeyser, who began a six-year, $30MM extension by scoring about a third less points for the third season in a row. With 12 points in 82 games at $5MM, DeKeyser’s $416.7K/point is pretty ugly. The Buffalo Sabres struck out twice on the blue line, with both Dmitry Kulikov (five points in 47 games at $4.33MM) and Josh Gorges (six points in 66 games at $3.9MM) coming in at $866.7K/point and $650K/point respectively, though neither is known as a major point producer. The worst forward contract? Andrew Desjardins may not have been relied upon as a full-time player with much ice time last season with the Chicago Blackhawks, but with only one point in 46 games, $800K/point, it’s not difficult to see why he remains an unsigned free agent.
While statistics and analytics in hockey are normally geared toward displaying on-ice production, it is always interesting to look at the game from a business perspective. It is important for teams and fans alike to understand not just the absolute of how a player is producing, but the relative value of that production based on how much money that player is being paid. In a salary cap league, there is nothing more important that production value, and as the game grows the focus will only further tighten on scoring as a function of dollars and the cost per point metric.
Snapshots: Malgin, Sheary, Walker
The Florida Panthers are a team looking for a reboot after a disappointing campaign. GM Dale Tallon seems to have adopted a total shift in philosophy after buying out Jussi Jokinen and passing on re-signing Jaromir Jagr. The team is opting for a more total youth movement, particularly on offense. In an article with NHL.com’s Alain Poupart, the undersized Denis Malgin spoke about his hopes for the 2017-18 campaign.
Malgin only scored 6 goals and 4 assists in his 47 contest in the NHL last season, but undoubtedly has skill. The former Zurich SC (Swiss A) prospect is known for his craftiness with the puck and his vision for making plays. As any 5’9 player will attest, physicality will be a huge hurdle for him going forward. Still, he only needs to look to recently-ex Panther Jonathan Marchessault to realize that solid offensive instincts can trump a small stature. Malgin, a center, will look to make a more permanent home in Florida this season, although training camp will determine where he begins the year. At only 20 years old, he has plenty of time to improve and bulk up physically.
- The Conor Sheary contract announced earlier today could turn out to be quite the bargain for the Penguins. The miniature winger’s chemistry with captain Sidney Crosby is undeniable, and he exploded with offensive production alongside him. With 53 points in only 61 games, if Sheary can maintain that sort of productive pace, he will be one of the more cost-effective wingers over the course of his contract. Speaking with the Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey, Sheary said he hoped to prove that this past season wasn’t merely a “one-time thing”. If he can put 3 more campaigns anywhere near as successful as 2016-17, he’s assured to be paid quite a bit more on his next contract. Durability is a concern, but he did appear to absorb harder impacts less regularly as the year progressed.
- Nathan Walker of the Washington Capitals re-signed with the organization at the beginning of the month, after playing the past two seasons in Hershey. As the Capitals are in a bit of a cap crunch, they will be relying on younger, cheaper players like Walker to fill holes, especially on the third and fourth lines. Walker, like the other two players in these snapshots, needs to prove that he can overcome his short height. At only 5’8, Walker plays a game well above his size. He can handle physicality and his energy can jump-start a shift in a pinch. He also has some level of offensive capability – he’s netted 64 points through 131 AHL contests in the last two seasons. Walker is particularly interesting to trivia buffs, because were he to make an NHL appearance (as seems likely), he would be the first Australian-born player to do so, as noted by Adam Gretz of NBC Sports. Walker’s competition in camp, as of now, isn’t too intimidating. Assuming Jakub Vrana makes the lineup, Walker will only need to beat out the likes of Travis Boyd, Wayne Simpson, Riley Barber and a host of AHL journeymen and minor prospects to cement his playing time.
Vegas Notes: Marchessault, Neal, Perron, Sbisa
While it’s almost impossible to guess what the Vegas Golden Knight’s roster may look like from year-to-year for the forseeable future as general manager George McPhee has made it clear that trading for draft picks is his first and foremost goal, there are some who see trends already and, according to Sportsnet’s Luke Fox, don’t be surprised at all if forward Jon Marchessault is re-signed to a long-term deal next year.
Fox did a podcast with Las Vegas Review-Journal hockey writer Steve Carp (podcast on website), who says that Marchessault’s familiarity with former Florida Panthers’ head coach Gerard Gallant will make him want to stay in Vegas. The 26-year-old center will be joining his fourth team and has had his ups and downs after going undrafted early in his career. Before his 30-goal breakout season last year, he had only played in 49 career NHL games. He credits some of his success to Gallant, who was his head coach before being dismissed during the season. However, now that they are reunited in Las Vegas, he may look to stay where he is wanted.
- Carp also says that the two most valuable trade chips at next year’s trade deadline will be James Neal and David Perron. While Neal’s name comes as no surprise after putting up 54 goals in the past two years, Perron’s value is unknown. The 29-year-old wing is far from his 28-goal season back in 2013-14, but did manage to play a full season last year in St. Louis and put up 18 goals. The belief is that McPhee is hoping to get second-round picks for each player, although Carp says he probably would be willing to accept a third-rounder, if needed. The Golden Knights whose emphasis is on receiving picks between the first and third round need help for next year’s draft. After having six picks in this year’s draft (including three first-rounders), Vegas has just two for 2018, yet seven in 2019 and five picks in the first three rounds in 2020. They hope the trade deadline will net them those 2018 picks.
- Carp adds that one other issue with having 11 defenders currently on their roster is that nine of them are left-handed. Of all the defensemen on the roster, Carp says that McPhee wants to move Luca Sbisa, who has one year left on his deal, but at $3.6MM. “He’s 27 but he’s got a lot of money [owed to him],” Carp said. “I’m not sure if George didn’t overplay his hand a little bit in taking all these defencemen thinking he could flip ’em quickly for picks.”
- Neal is also the likely candidate to become team captain, according to Carp. While Vegas has played up Marc-Andre Fleury as the face of the franchise, goaltenders are not permitted to be “on ice” captains.
- Don’t expect the Golden Knights to sign one of the many veteran free agent forwards, according to Carp. A veteran does not fit in with the Golden Knight’s plans of developing youth or using veterans to trade for picks since no one seems to want players like Shane Doan or Jaromir Jagr now when they are available.
Poll: Who Will Be The Most Cost-Effective Free Agent Forward Signed This Year?
Free agency is often a place where teams around the league overpay for depth additions that have little impact on their team. Even the top free agents available are often given too many years and too much money, especially heading into their declining years. Arguments can be made against several big earners from last year, with Milan Lucic, Kyle Okposo, David Backes and Loui Eriksson all struggling at times throughout the 2016-17 season. Each one is owed $6MM for at least four more seasons, carrying them into their mid-30s. While there were some good things to point out in each of their seasons, the contracts seem like they’ll be dragging their team down in just a few years.
On the other side though, there is the chance to get an incredible amount of production for extremely low prices if you’re willing to take a chance on another team’s castoff. Jon Marchessault signed with Florida for two years and just $1.5MM total, and proceded to put up a 30-goal season for the Panthers. Sam Gagner turned $650K into 50 points for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and a shiny new three-year deal with Vancouver this summer. There are bargains to be had every year, as long as you’re willing to take a chance.
This year, we’ve seen several aging veterans take extremely low-priced contracts after a buyout, and some restricted free agents hit the open market after not receiving a qualifying offer. Last year, Gagner and Marchessault easily paced the UFAs in terms of cost per point, but a 35-year old Radim Vrbata was great value even after factoring in the performance bonuses he earned.
So who will that title go to this year? Mike Cammalleri and Scott Hartnell are both getting just $1MM and can still play, while a player like Kenny Agostino could jump to the NHL and impress. There are also the remaining names like Jaromir Jagr and Thomas Vanek, who still don’t have a contract weeks into free agency. Vote below, and make sure you leave other options in the comments for people to discuss.
Who will be the most cost-effective UFA forward signed this year?
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Patrick Sharp 21% (129)
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Scott Hartnell 12% (74)
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Mike Cammalleri 11% (69)
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Jaromir Jagr 10% (62)
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Nail Yakupov 9% (56)
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Thomas Vanek 7% (44)
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Other 6% (35)
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Kenny Agostino 6% (34)
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Dominic Moore 5% (28)
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Alex Burmistrov 5% (28)
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Ales Hemsky 4% (27)
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David Desharnais 4% (27)
Total votes: 613
[Mobile users click here to vote!]
Reilly Smith Gamble Could Pay Off For Golden Knights
Usually when you hear of a team giving up a prospect of young player, there is a reason behind it, often another bloated contract of a veteran who is making too much money on the decline of his career. Yet, for the Vegas Golden Knights, the team was able to make a deal with the Florida Panthers in which they got 26-year-old Jon Marchessault, a 30-goal scorer last year. The cost? Not a bloated contract of a 30-something player, but the contract of 26-year-old Reilly Smith, who himself is only a year from putting up 25 goals.
Smith is a former third-rounder who has flashed a ton of potential, but has failed to be consistent throughout his career. After putting up a great season in 2015-16, which included 25 goals and 25 assists and being the team’s top scorer that year in the playoffs, Smith was rewarded with a five year, $25MM extension just last year. Unfortunately, he only scored 15 goals last year and struggled just the like the team did. When the Panthers new administration came in, Smith was no longer in their plans and getting rid of his new contract to open up cap space to focus on more important players became a priority.
However, Smith could easily prove to be more than just a throw-in player. At 26 years old, Smith has plenty of more hockey left and he returns to his old coach, Gerard Gallant, who coached him during his 25-goal season. Now on an expansion team, Smith could easily pick up big minutes with few veterans on the team and the possibility that any of those veterans could be traded at any minute.
If Smith could return to form with Gallant’s help and put up a 50-point season like he did two years ago or in 2013-14, he could become a key piece to the team’s offense for years or, more likely, become a quality trade candidate in the future. If Smith can put up big numbers again this year, he could be moved much easier in a year or two when he has just three or four years remaining on his contract.
Florida Panthers To Give Tippett Every Chance To Make Team
Since taking back control of the Florida Panthers franchise in April, general manager Dale Tallon has been busy reshaping his roster this offseason after the team failed to make the playoffs this past year. He unloaded young wing Reilly Smith and his large contract to Vegas along with soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Jon Marchessault to remove future cap problems that likely would have arisen. He handed out a one-year deal to free agent scorer Radim Vrbata to make up for some of that goal scoring and brought back former Panther Evgeni Dadonov from the KHL on a reasonable three-year deal. He also re-signed penalty killing defenseman Mark Pysyk to a three-year deal. However, his focus has been on building a team around its youthful core, including Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck, Nick Bjugstad and defenseman Aaron Ekblad, all who are 24 years of age or under and already locked up long-term. However, the Panthers might be ready to add another name to that list.
The Panthers seem ready to give their 2017 first-rounder Owen Tippett every chance to join their young team immediately, according to NBC Sports Adam Gretz. After an impressive showing at their development camp, Tallon was quick to point out that Tippett will be given every opportunity to make the squad this year.
“He’s going to get every opportunity,” said Tallon (via the Panthers). “I don’t have any problem and [head coach Bob Boughner] and our coaching staff don’t have any issues playing young guys. We’re building a team that’s going to be around for a long time and we’ll give him every opportunity to play this year.”
Tippett, who is a pure scorer, would fill a major need as many of their top players are playmakers rather than goal producers. The 18-year-old is coming off a season in which he scored 44 goals for Mississaugua Steelheads in the OHL last year. He was ranked as the seventh-best North American skater by NHL.com.
Golden Knights To Acquire Reilly Smith From Panthers
According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, the Florida Panthers will not stop at just losing one top-nine forward in expansion. While it has been confirmed that Jonathan Marchessault was the Expansion Draft pick by the Vegas Golden Knights, Reilly Smith has also been informed that he will be Las Vegas-bound.
While the details of the deal have not yet been announced, there are two possibilities for this side deal with Vegas. The first is that Smith was thrown in alongside the Marchessault pick to keep the Knights from selecting another exposed player, likely defenseman Jason Demers. Many were surprised when Florida protected four defenseman, leaving many forwards open for the taking, including Marchessault and Smith, but the move would make more sense if that was what was required for Vegas to ignore Demers. The other potential deal could be independent from expansion, as it has been reported that the Panthers may not have wanted to re-sign Marchessault anyway and thus their protection scheme was logical. In this scenario, Smith may be going to Vegas alongside a yet-to-be-named draft pick or prospect. Although Smith is a two-time 20-goal scorer and just 26 years old, he is due to begin a five-year, $25MM contract next season after scoring a career-low 37 points in 2016-17.
Vegas will be the fourth NHL team for Smith, who was originally dealt to the Boston Bruins as part of the Tyler Seguin deal. The Bruins encountered the same pattern with Smith as Florida did: after a great first season, the production fell off in year two and he was traded before beginning an expensive extension. Perhaps head coach Gerard Gallant, who enjoyed coaching Smith in Florida before he was fired earlier this season, sees something that others don’t and can make the most of his $25MM deal. However, hold your opinions for two years from now, because history shows that he’ll likely have a strong first campaign in Las Vegas before the real test begins in 2018-19.
Snapshots: Methot, Karlsson, Marchessault
The Ottawa Senators were put in a rough predicament when Dion Phaneuf turned down the team’s request to waive his no-trade clause. The organization is very high on Cody Ceci, and considering the depth of forwards they needed to protect, they were forced to expose Marc Methot. Many mock drafts have the veteran defender headed to Vegas, including our own. Some have even contemplated whether Methot could find himself in a captaincy position in Nevada. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun explains how difficult a decision that was for Pierre Dorion and his staff, and how they tried to trade Phaneuf up until the last minute. Ottawa could theoretically try to bribe Vegas with the #28 pick, but considering that the team only has 4 picks overall, that seems unlikely. The more probable scenario is that Ottawa merely takes the blow and moves on.
- The Blue Jackets truly want to hang onto their youngest talents, according to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. They are supposedly surrendering their 1st round selection to Vegas in order to keep Josh Anderson and Joonas Korpisalo. What makes nearly no sense is the apparent fact that this deal also warns the Knights off of veteran defenseman Jack Johnson. Johnson is an average defender, and with the rise of Zach Werenski and others he doesn’t seem to be a pivotal piece any longer. Vegas will probably choose William Karlsson or Ryan Murray as low-risk claims and run away happy from this deal. The valuation of a first-rounder is probably the lowest in ages, and the anxiety surrounding the protection lists has seemingly reduced their value even further.
- Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinel has Jonathan Marchessault headed to Vegas, based on the reports he’s been hearing. Defenders Jason Demers and young forward Reilly Smith are also available as high-value options for the Knights. According to Marchessault himself in an interview on TVA Sports, Tallon wasn’t able to negotiate a protection deal with Vegas. He was certainly being shopped in the lead up to Sunday. The entire Florida protection list was confusing, but Marchessault’s exposure was a truly unforced error by GM Dale Tallon. The 30-goal scorer will almost certainly find a home in Vegas’ top six, and the loss of this quality of player for absolutely nothing is perplexing the entire league. It’s certainly possible Marchessault has a down year after a career one, but asset management was completely blown in this case, and Vegas looks to reap that reward.
Atlantic Division Offers Scoring, Depth Players
The Atlantic Division was arguably the weakest in the league, but Vegas should be happy to know that they can claim two previous 30-goal scorers from the group. Some teams offer very little, such as Buffalo, because of their lack of depth, and Toronto, because of good planning. But others, such as Montreal and Detroit, will provide interesting options at multiple positions.
The Boston Bruins have one of the weakest lists of the lot, but there are still a few names which could help the Golden Knights organization. Vegas could opt for the overpaid but serviceable Matt Beleskey in hopes of his return to form as a solid 3rd-line piece. They might instead select a defenseman, either the puck possession defender in Colin Miller or physical presence in Adam McQuaid – but there may be better defenseman available elsewhere. A very probable scenario is that they opt for a project player in defenseman Joe Morrow or goalie Malcolm Subban. The Toronto Maple Leafs probably released one of the best lists today. Veteran Brooks Laich is an option, but McPhee may opt for 25 year-old Martin Marincin in hopes that he can build upon his last two seasons. Neither loss would impact the team’s ascendance in the slightest. Something to keep an eye out for is the perennially injured Joffrey Lupul – it’s certainly possible GM Lou Lamoriello will use Vegas to take his contract off the books. It wouldn’t take much of a sweetener.
The Montreal Canadiens left veteran defenseman Alexei Emelin exposed, which some predicted – but it could still set their defense back in the short-term. GM Marc Bergevin did well to utilize that final forward protection spot, trading for Jonathan Drouin and locking him up long-term. A potential player to watch is Alexander Radulov and whether Vegas will pursue the unrestricted free agent in the next few days. They do have a head-start, and he would be a potent addition. The Detroit Red Wings made what I consider to be a very surprising move in exposing goalie Petr Mrazek over Jimmy Howard. It could pay dividends if Vegas opts to go in a different goaltending direction, but it seems quite likely they will go the best player available route. Xavier Ouellet is also left exposed, which could decimate their defensive hopes. Unfortunately for Wings fans, Ken Holland very well will pay extortion-level prices for not being more aggressive in the trade market when he had the opportunity.
The Ottawa Senators will contribute one of the top three players to Vegas, regardless of his very hefty $7 MM contract. Bobby Ryan is bound for Nevada unless something unforeseen happens – he’s a former 30 goal scorer, is coming off a hot playoff, and an overpaid contract won’t break this team off the start. They could opt to speak with Mike Condon or go the less expensive route and take the veteran Marc Methot, but neither seems likely. Losing Ryan might hurt the Senators’ depth in the short term but is a solid cap-centric decision. The Buffalo Sabres will not lose much at all. Vegas could take a chance on the surprisingly available young forward William Carrier, or claim an average defenseman in Josh Gorges or Zach Bogosian. Vegas fans who were banking on a Tyler Ennis jersey will have to re-think their potential first purchase.
The Florida teams took completely different approaches to their expansion lists, and its clear that Tampa took the wiser route. Although they lost Jonathan Drouin, they re-couped a solid defenseman and made certain they didn’t lose an asset for nothing. Instead of losing Vladislav Namestnikov, they will instead look to probably surrender one of Cedric Paquette or J.T. Brown. There are a lot of mid-tier options available for Vegas, and I wouldn’t count out Cory Conacher as a darkhorse UFA signing considering his dominant performance in the Calder Cup playoffs. The Florida Panthers produced an inexcusably bad list. They will almost certainly lose their top scorer by not protecting the undersized Jonathan Marchessault. He had a breakout season with 30 goals in 75 games and his loss up front could really sting next season. Also of note is the decision to leave Roberto Luongo unprotected, although nothing likely will come of it.
Ultimately, the Atlantic division has a few players that will provide offensive punch to the Golden Knights, and a couple interesting decisions. McPhee could opt for safer veteran options, or take some gambles – only time will tell.
The original article had mistakenly replaced Collin Miller’s name on the protection list with Kevan Miller.
Jonathan Marchessault Potentially Available
With the deadline to submit protected lists fast approaching, one team feeling the crunch appears to be the Florida Panthers. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that forward Jonathan Marchessault could be available.
The 26 year is coming off a career season with the Panthers, scoring 30 goals and 21 assists in 75 games; his goal total led all Florida players. For perspective, he had just eight goals and 11 helpers in 49 games prior to this year.
He also has a very affordable contract as 2017-18 represents the final season of a two year, $1.5MM deal signed last offseason. While many teams will be tight to the cap, a $750K cap hit can be worked into any team.
The fact that Marchessault’s name is out there suggests that Florida is considering protecting eight skaters which would allow them to lock in four of their defenders including Keith Yandle and his no-move clause. Moving Marchessault would also allow them to cash in while his value is at its peak but would undoubtedly open up a hole that would need to be filled either via free agency or a trade after the Expansion Draft.