Polls

Famously stated by former NHL GM Brian Burke, July 1st is the day which teams make the most mistakes. They see players on the unrestricted free agent market and pay too much and for too long based entirely on what they’ve already accomplished in their careers. Rarely is there a contract to a star player that accurately reflects his future value, and never does an offseason pass without someone drastically overpaying.

Last year there were immediate doubts about the long-term deals handed out to players like David Backes, Milan Lucic and Loui Eriksson, and though each had varying levels of success in their first year could all be called disappointments. Those contracts could get even uglier as they go on, and look like a ridiculous deal in a few seasons.

This year had less star power on the free agent market, and a headliner in Kevin Shattenkirk that actually took less money and term than almost anyone expected. He headed to the Rangers for just four seasons despite being arguably the most sought-after player on the market, and while he easily could start his decline it’s hard to call his contract much of an albatross. In fact, only two UFAs even received a contract of five years in what was a relatively tame free agent period. Karl Alzner and Alexander Radulov led the way, though much longer extensions were given out to players like Carey Price and Brent Burns.

Looking at just the UFA deals from this summer (which excludes things like T.J. Oshie’s contract that was signed on June 23rd), which do you think will look the worst in a year? We’ve included some of the top candidates, but don’t hesitate to list another contract in the comments below and explain why you think it will be the worst.

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The 2017 offseason is already at the point where people have started looking ahead. Despite big contracts still coming for Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Johansen and other restricted free agents, October can’t seem to come quick enough. Instead of ranking the top remaining free agents for this year (a poll that Jaromir Jagr won a few weeks ago) let’s look even further and start to project the summer of 2018.

Obviously, this is an extremely early version of this question as players will be re-signed, traded, and bought out within the next twelve months to make the hockey landscape completely different. Carey Price, once considered one of the top free agents for 2018 has already signed his huge extension, and most of the players on this list will join him.

That uncertainty should play a big role in your decision. Instead of just picking the top player on the list (which would make for a very boring poll in this case), decide who you think will actually get to free agency and be the top name on the market. Explain in the comments why you chose a certain player, or who else we needed to include in the poll.

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With the majority of the free agent class locked up, teams now have to turn their attention to the trade market to improve their team. That said, the Edmonton Oilers went out and signed a free agent today in Jussi Jokinen who can legitimately help their team next year.

There are still a few names out there that can make an impact. Out of our Top 50 Free Agents, 19 names remain available, though most would take on a fringe role on any team. Despite that, we ask you now: Who is the best free agent left on the market?

We’ve listed some of the names in our Top 50, and some names that have been added to the pool since then, but make sure to leave any other options you think should be considered in the comments.

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Now most of the way through the third day of free agency, and several teams have made substantial upgrades to their teams. Kevin Shattenkirk, Alexander Radulov and Karl Alzner, our top 3 UFAs have all signed long-term deals with new teams, and others have made an impact on the trade market or with their restricted free agents.

So who has had the best offseason so far? Dallas has added several big names with Radulov joining Ben Bishop, Marc Methot and Martin Hanzal, while the New York Islanders found a winger for John Tavares and got a big return for Travis Hamonic. Montreal has added a top free agent, acquired a top line winger and locked up their franchise goaltender, while the Vegas Golden Knights came into existence and acquired a boatload of draft picks.

Vote on who you think has had the best offseason so far, and make sure you leave your thoughts in the comments below. With still lots of trade talk to come it could easily change, but let us know who you think got out to the early lead.

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