Every year, there are players who step up their games in the postseason, provide big memories and are rewarded with even bigger paychecks. From Alex Killorn’s playoff dominance helping him land a seven-year deal, to Dave Bolland turning Stanley Cup magic into a huge contract with the Florida Panthers a few years later. Some work out fine, while others aren’t quite worth it (sorry Dave).
With that said, there is always money to be made with a solid playoff run and this year is no exception. Let’s take a look at some of the players who could give themselves some leverage this summer, should they pay off this spring.
T.J. Oshie, Washington Capitals – Oshie obviously is going to be one of the most sought after free agents this summer regardless, and along with Alexander Radulov and Joe Thornton won’t have a tough time finding a job no matter what. But after a season in which he broke out and scored 30 goals for the first time, he could make himself indispensable for the Capitals by helping them get over their playoff stumbles. For a player who historically didn’t perform all that exceptionally in the postseason with St. Louis, Oshie upped his game in his first go-round with the Capitals last year scoring 10 points in 12 games. If he shows that he’s the answer to the struggles Alex Ovechkin and Niklas Backstrom have had taking this team to the finals, the team might just have to find a way keep him around for the foreseeable future. It’s just too bad that NHL playoffs don’t go to shootouts, or Oshie would have it locked up. 
Matt Hunwick, Toronto Maple Leafs – With Nikita Zaitsev out for at least the first game of their series, the Maple Leafs are going to lean on veteran defender Hunwick to log important minutes alongside Morgan Rielly. At 31, Hunwick is an unrestricted free agent this summer and is playing for his NHL future. Since Zaitsev was the Leafs’ leader in ice time this season, there will be plenty of minutes to go around—especially with the obvious distrust between Mike Babcock and Martin Marincin, who will draw into the lineup. If the Leafs could ever find a way to get past the Capitals in the first round, it would likely be because of a Herculean effort from Hunwick on the top pairing.
Patrick Eaves, Anaheim Ducks – Is Eaves really a 32-goal man? Many teams likely don’t think so, and as we examined a few weeks ago maybe they shouldn’t. With a solid postseason, continuing the absolute tear he has been on since he joined the Ducks—he scored 11 goals in 20 games for the team, including seven in his final eight games—he could legitimately turn this dream season into a multi-year deal. Eaves has always been considered a good defender, and if he can convince a team that he can be an offensive contributor when the games get harder and the powerplays fewer, he’ll easily break his current record of $1.4MM in a single year.
Martin Hanzal, Minnesota Wild – For years, people have been waiting for Hanzal to put it all together and become a top-line center in the NHL. He’s 30 now, and most of us have moved on from that idea and come to see him as the solid middle-six player that he is. But all it takes is a little spark—like 13 points in 20 games down the stretch for the Wild—for all that potential to come rushing back into people’s minds. If he’d finished the year out with Arizona, he would have been looking at a solid but unspectacular deal in the offseason. Instead, if he can take the Wild deep into the playoffs he may be looking at a career-making contract. After playing 21 minutes in the Wild’s heartbreaking loss in game 1, he needs to step it up even further if he wants to cash in.
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