Restricted Free Agents Still To Sign
Originally published on August 8th, and updated as of September 15th.
While the offseason has crawled along, name after name has been knocked off the list of restricted free agents as teams try to put together their roster for next season. With Monday’s signing of Barclay Goodrow by the San Jose Sharks, there are only 20 RFAs remaining unsigned for the 2017-18 season.
Heading that list is still Leon Draisaitl and David Pastrnak, two young superstars looking for a long-term payday before they turn 22. Each of them scored at least 70 points last season and have established themselves in the top tier around the league. Past them there is still a ton of talent. Alexander Wennberg and Bo Horvat make up the next tier of RFAs, coming off 50+ point seasons and key building blocks for their respective teams down the middle. Both just 22-years old they’ll be important contracts for Columbus and Vancouver to deal with before training camp starts.
After that, the list is dotted with several useful players who should have full-time roles this season along with some who are on the edge of the NHL still. Calgary leads the way with three remaining, while many teams have all their free agents locked up. Below is a list of the remaining free agents, along with their point totals from last year.
Andreas Athanasiou (DET) – 64 GP, 18 G, 11 A, 29 P
Josh Anderson (CBJ) – 78 GP, 17 G, 12 A, 29 P
Nikita Zadorov (COL) – 56 GP, 0 G 10 A, 10 P (Signed, two years, $4.3MM)
Marcus Foligno (MIN) – 80 GP, 13 G, 10 A, 23 P (Signed, four years, $11.5MM)
David Pastrnak (BOS) – 75 GP, 34 G, 36 A, 70 P (Signed, six years, $40MM)
Leon Draisaitl (EDM) – 82 GP, 29 G, 48 A, 77 P (Signed, eight years, $68MM)
Alexander Wennberg (CBJ) – 80 GP, 13 G, 46 A, 59 P (Signed, six years, $29.4MM)
Bo Horvat (VAN) – 81 GP, 20 G, 32 A, 52 P (Signed, six years, $33MM)
Connor Brown (TOR) – 82 GP, 20 G, 16 A, 36 P (Signed, three years, $6.3MM)
Damon Severson (NJD) – 80 GP, 3 G, 28 A, 31 P (Signed, six years, $25MM)
Sam Bennett (CGY) – 81 GP, 13 G, 13 A, 26 P (Signed, two years, $3.9MM)
Zemgus Girgensons (BUF) – 75 GP, 7 G, 9 A, 16 P (Signed, two years, $3.2MM)
Anthony Duclair (ARZ) – 58 GP, 5 G, 10 A, 15 P (Signed, one year, $1.2MM)
Brendan Gaunce (VAN) – 57 GP, 0 G, 5 A, 5 P (Signed, two years $1.5MM)
Brett Kulak (CGY) – 21 GP, 0 G, 3 A, 3P (Signed, one year, $650K)
Robbie Russo (DET) – 19 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P (Signed, two years, $650K)
Petteri Lindbohm (STL) – 7 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P (Signed, one year, undisclosed)
Tyler Wotherspoon (CGY) – 4 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P (Signed, one year, $650K)
Jean-Sebastien Dea (PIT) – 1 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P (Signed, one year, $650K)
Tye McGinn (TB) – 0 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P (Signed, one year, undisclosed)
“Talks Have Stopped” Between Josh Anderson, Columbus Blue Jackets
Just yesterday we heard that there was a “vast” gap between Josh Anderson and the Columbus Blue Jackets on the young forward’s next contract, and now it seems negotiations have come to a halt altogether. Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch quotes Anderson’s agent Darren Ferris, who says talks have stopped and that they are evaluating their options.
Anderson of course is a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract, but up until recently it had seemed like everything was progressing towards a new deal. The Blue Jackets have begun camp without him, and head coach John Tortorella has been clear that he could lose his spot if he misses enough time. Though it’s hard to see Anderson actually being left out of the lineup after scoring 17 goals last year, Tortorella is notoriously loyal to the players who work hard for him and show up on a daily basis. It’s not exactly Anderson’s fault that he’s not in camp, but every day he misses gives a chance to someone else.
In his absence, young players like Sonny Milano, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Tyler Motte will all get a chance to establish themselves alongside some of the regulars, and impress Tortorella enough to keep them around. While Anderson provides a different game than any of those three, he’ll have to fight hard to re-establish himself whenever the contract negotiations do end.
“Vast” Gap Between Josh Anderson, Blue Jackets
Though Aaron Portzline of The Athletic makes it clear that things could change at any moment, the negotiations between Josh Anderson and the Columbus Blue Jackets don’t appear to be close to a conclusion. Portzline tweets that “vast” was used to describe the difference between the two sides, an interesting adjective to use when talking about a pre-arbitration player coming off his entry-level deal and first full season.
Anderson did have an exceptional year, scoring 17 goals in his first real crack at the NHL, a tally that surpassed Alexander Wennberg, Scott Hartnell and Brandon Dubinsky among others. His role in the Blue Jackets’ lineup is an important one, able to move in and out of different lines and play several different styles of hockey. GM Jarmo Kekalainen said yesterday that he still believes Anderson would sign before camp, but with the team reporting for medicals today it would have to get done quickly.
Now that David Pastrnak has signed with the Boston Bruins, Anderson is one of just four restricted free agents left unsigned. Two of the other three—Nikita Zadorov and Andreas Athanasiou—have offers waiting for them in the KHL, while the fourth, Marcus Foligno, is all but signed in Minnesota. He’s already taken the ice with his teammates before camp started, and is just waiting for the contract to be finished before joining them again. While RFA negotiations often leak into training camp, it’s never a good thing for the development of a young player to miss time with his teammates. Camp is often where chemistry is found between potential linemates, and trust is built in the eyes of a coach. Though Anderson is at little risk of losing his spot in the lineup, every day he misses in camp is another chance someone else can impress.
Columbus Still Expects Josh Anderson To Sign Before Camp
Speaking with the media today, Columbus Blue Jackets’ GM Jarmo Kekalainen reiterated that he thinks Josh Anderson will be signed before training camp starts at the end of the week. Anderson is one of five unsigned restricted free agents around the league, and just this week there was a report from Aaron Portzline of The Athletic that he wouldn’t attend training camp without a contract.
Anderson broke out last year in his first chance at full-time action, scoring 17 goals and contributing in almost every aspect of the game. His physical presence and ability to work up and down the lineup can be very useful for a team like Columbus, who will feature some undersized forwards up front this season. There’s not a clear spot for him at this point, but since Kekalainen also revealed that Boone Jenner is working through a “middle-body injury” and will miss part of camp, there is potential for him to move up a bit.
Columbus has a lineup that could roll four lines every night as long as they get everyone signed and healthy, and Anderson is a big part of that. Though he was just a fourth-round pick in 2012, he showed last year that there might be a bit more upside than first expected. The team could look to Toronto for some comparables, as Anderson’s game falls somewhere in between that of Zach Hyman and Connor Brown—albeit with more size and physicality than either one—who each received multi-year contracts this summer after their first full seasons.
The Best Fits For Matt Duchene
Despite the tumultuous off-season for Matt Duchene and the Colorado Avalanche, GM Joe Sakic fully expects him to show up to training camp. At least, that’s what he told BSN Denver’s Adrian Dater. “He’s under contract and I expect him to be here” Sakic said, “Not everybody always comes to camp early. It’s not for me to (say), but I assume on the 14th, he’ll be here.” Sakic is referring to Duchene being one of only two Avs players under contract not to participate in captain’s practice last week. Holdouts may be rare in the NHL, but Duchene’s words and actions this summer have painted a pretty clear picture of a player who would like to leave Colorado.
If Duchene has reached his wit’s end with the trade rumors that have persisted since late 2016 and truly has no intention of suiting up for the Avalanche again, Sakic has just a few days left to trade him before this begins to enter holdout territory. The perceived problem all along is that Sakic has not dropped the asking price that has long been considered a young top-four defenseman, a first round pick, and one or two more young roster players or prospects. Not only do few (read: any) NHL teams have a young top-four blue liner to spare, but it’s hard to imagine anyone giving up such a package for Duchene, who has just two seasons remaining on his contract and is coming off a down 2016-17 season. Duchene had scored 55 or more points in five of his seven NHL seasons entering last year – and easily would have made it six had the the 2012-13 lockout-shorten seasoned been extended – yet, he ended up with only 41 points and an egregious -34 rating last season; a low point for both he and the Avalanche franchise.
Logic would seem to indicate that, holdout or not, Sakic has to continue listening to offers for Duchene and needs to lower an unreasonable asking price. TSN recently released their list of the top nine NHL trade candidates this season, with Duchene obviously at the top. They list the Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Nashville Predators, and Pittsburgh Penguins as the mostly likely destinations for Duchene. The Carolina Hurricanes and San Jose Sharks have also been in the rumor mix this summer.
Right away, a few of those options can have their odds discounted. Having just traded away Travis Hamonic and traded for Jordan Eberle, the New York Islanders and their estimated $3MM in cap space likely lack the capacity and the desire to pony up for Duchene at this point. The Isles are still deep on defense, but with Thomas Hickey and Dennis Seidenberg approaching free agency next year, trading yet another young defenseman like Calvin de Haan, Adam Pelech or Ryan Pulock could put the team in hole. Without one of those three, it is hard to see New York making a suitable offer. The defending two-time Cup champs are in a similar situation. While many Pens fans would love to see the embarrassment of riches of Duchene as the third line center behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh too lacks the cap space, currently about $3.25MM, and the pieces to get the job done. That is, unless Sakic is keen on Olli Maatta or the Penguins offer up Brian Dumoulin, Justin Schultz, or an overwhelming offer of picks and prospects including Derrick Pouliot and enough salary to offset Duchene. It’s a series of unlikely scenarios. Additionally, the Montreal Canadiens lack anything remotely close to a young top four defenseman. Duchene would be a great fit for the Habs, but they simply don’t have the pieces.
The Hurricanes and Bruins certainly have the pieces to acquire Duchene, but it seems unlikely that either will be the team to finally do it. Boston was in talks with Colorado last year, but balked at the ask of a package including Charlie McAvoy or Brandon Carlo and wouldn’t be willing to move Torey Krug either. If the price drops, the B’s have talented young defenders like Jakob Zboril, Jeremy Lauzon, Ryan Lindgren, and 2017 first rounder Uhro Vaakanainen waiting in the wings, but even if that was enough, the Bruins’ quiet off-season has indicated that they would like to move forward with their own young players this season. Carolina, on the other hand, is a Duchene-caliber player away from being a true contender and would love to add someone with his ability. However, GM Ron Francis has made it clear that he does not want to trade any of his defensemen. That hasn’t stopped TSN for listing “a Carolina defenseman” as one of their top trade candidates, but as of now there is no reason to think any of Justin Faulk, Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, or Noah Hanifin are going anywhere. Like Boston, Carolina still has solid pieces if the price drops, such as Haydn Fleury and Jake Bean, but another thought has been whispered this summer that may take Carolina out of the Duchene race altogether. Since acquiring Trevor van Riemsdyk from the Vegas Golden Knights back in June, a player who by all accounts they didn’t really need, many have speculated that Carolina is looking to make a run at 2018 premiere free agent James van Riemsdyk, to bring in the scoring power forward that they desperately desire.
The Blue Jackets and Sharks would be ideal landing spots for Duchene, but both teams would need to get creative with their offers. Both squads have a need for a scoring forward, the cap space to take him on and plenty of talented defensemen, but what they would be willing up on the blue line is not exactly what Colorado desires. There is no way that Columbus includes Zach Werenski or Seth Jones in a deal, but could be open to trading David Savard or Ryan Murray. However, each have a caveat. Savard, while a solid top-four talent, has had durability issues and difficulty with consistent production over the past couple of years. While he would be a great addition to any defense, that may not be what Sakic is looking to get back. Murray, while injury prone, is a highly-skilled young rearguard, but, amazingly, the 24-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. Any deal involving Murray would first have to include a long-term extension with the league’s worst team. Columbus’ best chance of getting Duchene likely involves a package with top defensive prospect Gabriel Carlsson and a young roster player like Josh Anderson or Oliver Bjorkstrand. San Jose also has a few untouchables on defense, namely superstars Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Colorado also wouldn’t be interested in veterans Paul Martin and Justin Braun. That leaves Brenden Dillon and Dylan DeMelo as the top options. While both have shown top-four potential, they have largely played shutdown roles in their young careers and bring little offensive upside. Like Savard, one would think that Sakic has a little more in mind for the Duchene return than stay-at-home defenders like Dillon and DeMelo. If the Sharks package versatile puck-moving D-prospect Jeremy Roy with either though, then talks could really get started. A package that starts like that and ends with a first-round pick and one of San Jose’s many young forwards could be enough to seal the deal.
Yet, the top candidate to bring in Duchene is likely the reigning Western Conference champs. No, the Predators are not moving any of Roman Josi, P.K. Subban, Ryan Ellis, or Mattias Ekholm, but the trick up their sleeve is top prospect Dante Fabbro. A junior teammate of Colorado top prospect Tyson Jost, Fabbro is considered one of the best prospects in hockey and should step into a top four role immediately when he leaves Boston University, much like Charlie McAvoy, who Sakic already targeted in Boston. Fabbro is not just a top-four defenseman, but a potential future #1 or at least a great option to pair with Cale Makar down the road. Sakic would be hard-pressed to find more upside up for grabs than Fabbro, but the Predators are set long-term on the blue line and desperately need to recoup the scoring lost in the Expansion Draft with the selection of James Neal. Fabbro, plus a young forward like Colton Sissons, Frederick Gaudreau, or Pontus Aberg, plus a first rounder and another pick or prospect, and Duchene could surely be on his way to Nashville.
Only time will tell where Duchene ends up, but the best case scenario for all parties is for that destination to not be Denver, Colorado for much longer. Sakic must and will eventually lower his asking price and someone will meet those demands. Could it be Nashville, Columbus, or San Jose? Definitely. Could it be Boston or Carolina? The Islanders or the Penguins? Possibly. Someone totally off the board? Of course. For such a talked-about topic, there is still so much uncertainty surrounding the situation. The next step will be to see if Duchene shows up to camp on Thursday. That decision could have a resounding effect on the trade process.
Latest On Columbus Blue Jackets’ RFA Talks
Even as the calendar turns over into September and NHL training camps are just around the corner, the Columbus Blue Jackets remain locked in important negotiations. Alexander Wennberg and Josh Anderson, two core restricted free agents, remain unsigned. As Aaron Portzline of The Athletic writes (subscription needed), it doesn’t look like anything is close. The Blue Jackets aren’t willing to give in to contract demands for players who are pre-arbitration, while agents look to continuously press the average salaries higher and higher.
Anderson apparently will begin skating in Switzerland to stay in shape, if the contract talks aren’t finished in the next few weeks. He’s coming off his first full year in the NHL, in which he scored 17 goals and showed off his versatility. Wennberg remains the team’s first-line center, and will likely be one of the three most important forwards on the team this year. Missing training camp would be a step back, though there is clearly no animosity between the two sides.
It’s business after all, something that is being seen all around the league this year. David Pastrnak, Bo Horvat and Andreas Athanasiou remain unsigned among many others, and even though there are often late-summer RFA signings, it’s still a scary proposition for fans to wait this long. Columbus still has plenty of cap space to sign both long-term if they so choose, but with big extensions coming up for the 2018-19 season—Cam Atkinson in particular—they’ll have to be very careful with how they spend their dollars.
Latest On Alexander Wennberg, Josh Anderson
The Edmonton Oilers got their big name restricted free agent locked up when they signed Leon Draisaitl to an eight-year, $68MM contract yesterday and perhaps it will start a run on RFA signings. According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, the Columbus Blue Jackets have had contact with Alexander Wennberg and Josh Anderson this week to start up negotiations again. Portzline’s quick to point out that this shouldn’t be misconstrued as progress, but the two sides hadn’t spoken in weeks.
Wennberg stands as probably the most important RFA still on the market outside of David Pastrnak in Boston, as he’s coming off a 59-point season in which he proved that he can be a #1 center. His 46 assists tied for 15th in the league, and he developed into one of the most dangerous powerplay weapons in the league. His playmaking ability is unmatched on the Blue Jackets, and heading into his age-23 season should get a hefty raise.
Anderson on the other hand is a sort of lineup tweener, who likely shouldn’t be played in your top-6 but still scored 17 goals last year. His production in limited minutes was a huge part of the Blue Jackets’ success but they have to be wary of paying for a possible career-high. Those 17 tallies came on an impressive 14.3% shooting percentage and could easily regress back to 10-15 this year. While he does offer physicality and versatility, Anderson doesn’t have high-end creativity or skill. While that won’t stop him from being an integral part this season, the Blue Jackets have some young players to pay in the next few years and can’t afford to tie up too much capital in a bottom six winger.
Important Contracts Still To Sign For Columbus Blue Jackets
As we approach the start of training camps in a little over a month, the Columbus Blue Jackets still have plenty of work to do in order to have the best players ready from day one. Alexander Wennberg and Josh Anderson both remain unsigned restricted free agents, and as Aaron Portzline of The Athletic points out, those negotiations could be holding up extension talks for Cam Atkinson as well. 
Atkinson will hit unrestricted free agency next summer and is coming off a 35-goal performance in 2016-17. His goal explosion earned him his first all-star appearance, and set career highs in almost every offensive category. Heading into this season at just 28, he would be one of the prized forward options should he end up on the open market.
Wennberg and Anderson on the other hand represent two big parts of the Blue Jackets’ forward group that need contracts just to start the season on time. While there has been no negative reports out of Columbus that either is heading towards a lockout, the team does have to be careful with how they spend their funds. After clearing room by buying out Scott Hartnell, the team has just under $12.9MM left to spend for this season. That number isn’t hard to fit the pair under, but going forward the team has many other contracts to consider.
Along with Atkinson’s UFA status, Boone Jenner and Ryan Murray are both restricted free agents next summer, while Artemi Panarin and Zach Werenski are due up in the summer of 2019. Panarin will be looking for a deal closer to $10MM per season than his current $6MM, and Werenski looks like a franchise defenseman that the team needs to lock up long term as soon as possible.
It’s rough waters to navigate for GM Jarmko Kekalainen, but for now the team is in pretty good shape. Not a single long-term deal will pay more than $5.85MM per season, and the team has options at nearly every position. Their solid drafting and development of young defensemen has come in handy, not to mention some successful trading to acquire certain assets. The Blue Jackets should be considered a top contender in the Metropolitan division once again, but it’ll take some more work this summer to get there.
Free Agent Notes: Wennberg, Anderson, Leier, Auger, Sifers
It doesn’t seem like contract talks are progressing much between the Blue Jackets and their two remaining restricted free agents. In a reader chat, Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch noted that it could take until next month before they reach agreements with forwards Alexander Wennberg and Josh Anderson. He was quick to add that this isn’t a sign that discussions are turning sour but it would appear that there’s still a notable gap to bridge.
Wennberg’s case is a very interesting one. He’s coming off a season where he finished second in team scoring and has established himself as a top liner. Several years ago, they signed Ryan Johansen in a similar situation to a three-year, $12MM deal. That could be somewhat of a benchmark for a contract here but the Blue Jackets have more than $12MM in cap space to work with per CapFriendly which will give them the financial flexibility to go for a longer-term, bigger money contract if they so desire. Having both options available to them is likely playing a part in the talks taking longer as well considering how different the money will be between short-and-long-term deals.
- The Flyers have agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way deal with Taylor Leier, TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reports (Twitter link). The contract is reportedly worth $807K which suggests that he simply accepted their qualifying offer. Leier collected a goal and an assist in ten games with Philadelphia this past season while adding 37 points (14-23-37) in 48 games with their AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley.
- Winger Justin Auger has accepted his qualifying offer from the Kings according to CapFriendly (via Twitter). The contract will pay the league minimum $650K at the NHL level and $60K in the minors. The 23-year-old is coming off a down season where he recorded just 20 points (11-9-20) in 61 games with Ontario of the AHL.
- Unrestricted free agent defenseman Jaime Sifers, who was most recently under contract with Columbus, has signed a two-year minor league deal with Utica (affiliate of the Canucks), the AHL team announced. Sifers spent the last three years with the AHL affiliates for the Jackets and collected 20 points (6-14-20) in 74 regular season games. He also has 37 games of NHL experience under his belt between Toronto and Minnesota.
Free Agent Focus: Columbus Blue Jackets
The free agent period is now less than a week away from opening up. Several prominent players are set to hit the open market and many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Here is a breakdown of the Columbus Blue Jackets’ free agent situation.
Key Restricted Free Agents: Alexander Wennberg. The team’s former first-round pick from 2014 looks like he’s paying dividends in his third full season in the league. The 22-year-old center stepped onto the team’s first line and had a breakout year, putting up 13 goals and 46 assists. While the Blue Jackets are not sure whether pass-first center is a first-line center, he is undoubtedly high in their plans for the future. At $1.4MM this past year, expect the young center to demand quite a pay raise.
F Josh Anderson. The 23-year-old winger is at the top of the list of restricted free agents that Columbus needs to lock up. The team went out of their way to make sure they didn’t lose the former fourth-round pick in 2012 to the Vegas Golden Knights and now must pay up to a player who had a breakout season with 17 goals and 12 assists last year, yet averaged just 12 minutes of ice time per game. Anderson made just $894,167 a year ago and should be in line for a modest raise.
Other RFA’s: G Oscar Dansk, F Jordan Schroeder, D Oleg Yevenko.
Key Unrestricted Free Agents: Sam Gagner. The 27-year-old forward signed with the Blue Jackets last year on a one-year “show me” contract and did just that, putting up one of his best seasons ever with 18 goals and 32 assists for 50 points. Now, if the Blue Jackets want to keep him, they will have to pay for him. The problem is that with such a mediocre group of free agents on the market this year, Gagner will find himself heavily in demand by other NHL teams and is in line for a big pay day.
Other UFA’s: D Marc-Andre Bergeron, F Brett Gallant, F Lauri Korpikoski, D Kyle Quincey, D Jaime Sifers, D Ryan Stanton, F T.J. Tynan.
Projected Cap Space: The team is in decent shape with just a $64.7MM cap hit that goes towards 21 players, giving them approximately $10.3MM to work with (per Cap Friendly) during the offseason, but that does not include locking up either Wennberg or Anderson, which will likely whittle away any significant space to sign a quality free agent.