Free Agent Focus: Nashville Predators
Free agency is now just a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Predators.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Jaret Anderson-Dolan – The 24-year-old played just one game with the Predators this season after being claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings. The Calgary, Alberta native played 31 games total, posting just a goal and three assists. A former second-round pick in 2017, Anderson-Dolan was thought to be a player who could develop into a bottom-six scoring option, but to this point in his career, his game hasn’t translated well to the NHL. His size is an issue as he does get overpowered by stronger defensemen, and he isn’t a great passer by NHL standards. However, he brings energy, can shoot the puck, and is a good forechecker. Given his lack of NHL success, it’s possible that Nashville may elect not to issue Anderson-Dolan a qualifying offer.
Other RFAs: F Egor Afanasyev, RW Wade Allison, D Marc Del Gaizo, G Gustavs Grigals, D Spencer Stastney, D Adam Wilsby, F Liam Foudy, C Juuso Parssinen, F Philip Tomasino
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
F Anthony Beauvillier – Beauvillier picked a bad time to have the worst offensive season of his career as the 27-year-old registered just five goals and 12 assists while being traded twice during the season and three times in the last 18 months. The former first-round pick looked as though he’d developed into a reliable secondary scorer in the middle six, but his numbers fell off a cliff last season. Beauvillier is a good shooter, brings good energy, and isn’t afraid to get dirty, he’ll find an NHL job next season, but he will be looking at a significant pay cut from the $4.15MM he made last season.
D Tyson Barrie – Barrie was a consistent healthy scratch last season in Nashville and voiced his displeasure at one point. He could be a good option for a team looking for some offense from the backend without a massive financial commitment. Barrie remains a good power play producer, and isn’t the worst defender in his own zone, although he does struggle to contain his opponents if he loses position. Barrie is just one year removed from posting 55 points in 85 games and will likely receive a one-year NHL contract for next season with the hopes that he bounces back to form.
D Alexandre Carrier – Carrier will be an interesting player to watch in free agency as he doesn’t have a long NHL track record, but he has been effective and could be a good second-pairing defenseman for a team. He is quick, has good gap control, and can keep plays alive in the offensive zone with smart pinches, and strong side-to-side work on the blue line. He isn’t afraid to push back in the defensive zone and doesn’t get overpowered by opposing forwards. The 27-year-old made $2.5MM last season on a one-year deal and is due a healthy raise on a multi-year deal.
G Kevin Lankinen – Lankinen is capable of playing like a starting goaltender in short stretches but lacks the consistency of a full-time NHL starter. He has good size but doesn’t play big and has a pretty average skill set. His 4.1 goals saved above expected (as per Money Puck) was pretty solid work in 24 games, although it represented a drop off from the 8.6 goals saved above expected he posted in 2022-23. With Predators star prospect Yaroslav Askarov ready to make the jump to the NHL, it looks as though Lankinen will be looking for a new NHL home. Given the weak goalie market, the 29-year-old should be able to find a multi-year deal with an AAV in the range of $2MM to $2.5MM.
F Jason Zucker – Zucker was in a very different position last summer when he signed a one-year deal worth $5.3MM. Zucker was coming off a 27-goal season and had been healthy for the first time in a while. A multi-year deal never materialized for the 32-year-old, and he opted to bet on himself with the shorter term. Unfortunately, the bet didn’t pay off as Zucker struggled to 14 goals and 18 assists in 69 games and was traded to Nashville at the deadline for a sixth-round pick. Zucker can still skate and isn’t afraid to get physical, he will fetch a multi-year deal, but it will likely come in under $4MM annually.
Other UFAs: G Troy Grosenick. D Jordan Gross, D Roland McKeown, F Kiefer Sherwood, C Jasper Weatherby
Projected Cap Space
The Predators have almost $12MM of dead cap space to contend with due to buyouts and retained salary. Despite this albatross on the books, the Predators still have plenty of room under the salary cap to shape their roster this summer. Nashville has nearly $26.4MM in space to make improvements and re-sign any pending free agents. The Predators are well-positioned to make a splash this summer and might opt to bolster their offense on the trade market. The team could also pursue top players in free agency as they aren’t limited by short-term cap issues. The Predators will need to find a direction with star netminder Juuse Saros and might need to tread lightly when handing out long-term deals if they want to have cap space to re-sign Saros long-term.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
Offseason Checklist: Vegas Golden Knights
The offseason has arrived for all but the two teams who are still taking part in the playoffs. For the rest, it’s time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at Vegas.
To say the Golden Knights took a big swing at the trade deadline would be an understatement. However, it didn’t result in the immediate success they were hoping for; while they snuck into the playoffs and gave Dallas a real run for their money, they were eliminated in the first round. Now, GM Kelly McCrimmon will look at making some tweaks while trying to keep as much of the core intact as possible. Here’s what they will likely be looking to try to do this summer.
Create Cap Space
Before Vegas can do anything when it comes to adding to its roster or even trying to re-sign some pending free agents, they need to get some cap flexibility. As things stand, they have barely $1MM in regular cap space, per CapFriendly. Only one team (Philadelphia) has less. Granted, Robin Lehner and his $5MM price tag is quite certain to remain on LTIR but unless the Golden Knights can make the perfect LTI placement in the fall, they probably won’t be able to utilize all of that amount. They can get close but few teams are able to use it all.
Even if we suppose they get the perfect placement, that gives them a little over $6MM to work with. That’s not much to work with when you’re hoping to re-sign some of Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson, Michael Amadio, William Carrier, and Anthony Mantha up front.
Assuming they have designs on retaining several of those players, they’re going to have to free up some money. It’s also reasonable to suggest they don’t want to move their higher-paid core pieces which limits their options. On the back end, Zach Whitecloud feels like a possible trade candidate. He was a regular for most of the year but spent time as a healthy scratch after Noah Hanifin was acquired. For someone who is more of a third-pairing option, a $2.75MM price tag might be too much of a luxury for them to afford. Replacing him with a cheaper player would open up a little more spending room.
Meanwhile, up front, Nicolas Roy would be a popular trade target for teams if Vegas elected to try to fill his spot with a lower-cost center as three years at $3MM per season is affordable for most…just not necessarily the Golden Knights. A smaller move would be to move the final year and $1.9MM of Brett Howden’s contract, replacing him with someone making closer to half of that. The trade return probably wouldn’t be the strongest but if that helped add enough extra space to re-sign a more prominent piece, it’d be worth doing.
McCrimmon won’t be able to open up enough cap space to keep everyone but he knew that before acquiring and extending Hanifin while adding Tomas Hertl and his long-term deal. But if they can keep one of their top options and perhaps one of their bottom-six free agents, that would still be a good outcome for them.
Try To Re-Sign Marchessault
The most prominent of those pending unrestricted free agents is Marchessault. One of the few remaining original members of the Golden Knights, the 33-year-old followed up winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2023 by posting a career-high 42 goals in 2023-24. Not a bad platform heading into free agency, that’s for sure.
Both sides have openly discussed a willingness to get a new deal done although talks were late getting started; it’s believed discussions only got underway in recent days. Part of the hold-up could simply have been Vegas needing to get a better handle on what they have (or won’t have) to spend come July 1st before engaging but it still seems a little odd they waited this long.
Nonetheless, Marchessault is well-positioned for a nice raise on a multi-year agreement. After making $5MM in each of the last six seasons, he could conceivably push for $7MM while getting three or four years if he makes it to the open market. It’s possible that he could leave some money on the table to stay with the Golden Knights who likely can’t afford that type of contract given their salary structure but with this likely being his last big contract, that can’t automatically be assumed either.
Regardless of what happens, Marchessault’s later-career breakout has him on the upswing heading into free agency which will have him rated highly on our Top 50 UFA list to be released later this month.
Extension Talks
While McCrimmon will have some pressing matters to attend to when it comes to his group of pending unrestricted free agents, he’ll likely be looking ahead to 2025-26 as well. A little over a year from now, three important players will be eligible to test the open market, making them eligible for contract extensions as of July 1st.
Shea Theodore is another one of the few remaining original members of the franchise and, when healthy, has been a key cog on their back end for the past seven seasons, logging over 20 minutes per game in each of them. However, he has missed 62 games over the past two years which won’t help his cause when those talks begin. Having said that, the 28-year-old will be viewed by numerous teams as a top-pairing player and the market for those players is quite significant. At a minimum, it’s well above the $5.2MM AAV of his existing contract. Alex Pietrangelo ($8.8MM) and Hanifin ($7.35MM) are on pricey contracts and Theodore should end up in that range whether it’s this summer or next.
Then there are the goaltenders. Adin Hill went from being a depth addition between the pipes when he was first acquired to a player who was dominant in their run to the Stanley Cup in 2023. That helped earn him what amounted to a second bridge deal, albeit with a sizable raise this time around. That contract, one that carries a $4.9MM AAV, is set to expire next year and it will be interesting to see if he can beat that next time out. Hill set a career-high in appearances in 2023-24 but still only played in 35 regular season games. If he doesn’t see a number one workload, it will be difficult to justify giving him any sort of considerable raise. That makes his situation a tough one to work through in terms of finding a number that works now for both sides.
That isn’t necessarily the case for Logan Thompson, however. The 27-year-old has led Vegas in goalie games in his two full NHL campaigns and was the starter going into the playoffs. If that holds true next season, that will be three seasons of at least closer to a starting workload which will help his case if he gets to the open market. At this point in time, a contract for him likely starts above Hill’s current price tag and one thing is for sure, with the way their team is constructed, they won’t be able to keep both in the fold beyond next season.
Whether it’s Hill or Thompson, if they can determine which one to keep and get that deal worked out in the next couple of months, it’ll be one big item off of next year’s list.
Mine The Margins
Vegas has gotten quite accustomed to not being able to afford to carry a full-sized 23-man roster and next year should be no exception. However, there are a couple of spots on the big club that could be up for grabs depending on what happens with their pending free agents that they may want to turn to the open market for.
However, they won’t be able to get involved in any sort of bidding war. Instead, they’ll almost certainly be limited to offering minimum-salary deals ($775K) due to their cap situation. Those contracts aren’t often signed on the opening day of free agency. However, there are often bargains to be found with some patience so they may have to wait for the secondary free agent market to open up closer to training camp before filling those spots.
It would also be wise for them to get some NHL-capable pieces to be stashed at AHL Henderson. The upside isn’t typically too high for two-way free agents but getting some players who have shown they can handle limited roles can’t hurt for when injuries arise. These are the types of deals they can get aggressive on early as they’re likely to carry a $775K NHL cap charge with the only differences in offers from other teams being the minor league portion. Landing some of the better players on that side of the market could prove fruitful as the year goes on but they’ll have to work through what’s set to be a very large list of players to find the best fits.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Offseason Checklist: Toronto Maple Leafs
The offseason has arrived for all but the two teams who are still taking part in the playoffs. For the rest, it’s time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at Toronto.
An offseason of low-risk, short-term signings for new general manager Brad Treliving paid some dividends for Toronto. Unfortunately, a lack of impact adds at the trade deadline and injuries to star forwards Auston Matthews and William Nylander contributed to yet another first-round playoff loss to the Bruins. Now, a sharp increase in the salary cap is coming at the best possible time for the Leafs, who have a significant amount of roster and spending flexibility available for the first time in a while. It’s up to Treliving to not waste it.
Defense, Defense, Defense
Did we say defense? The Leafs only have three everyday defenders signed next season. Two of them, Simon Benoit and Jake McCabe, had competent showings in shutdown roles last season (especially the latter) but struggled to move the puck up the ice. The other, longtime fixture Morgan Rielly, remains a high-end offensive blue liner but has documented defensive weaknesses that make it increasingly difficult to justify playing him nearly 24 minutes per game.
Nearly all of their pending UFAs on defense, namely T.J. Brodie, aren’t expected to back. Their lone restricted free agent, Timothy Liljegren, is far from a sure bet either, and his signing rights could be used as trade bait this summer.
That leaves plenty of money and roster space for turnover, especially on the right side. All of Benoit, McCabe and Rielly are lefties, although McCabe is comfortable playing his off-side. In any event, Treliving is looking for at least two marquee right-shot blue liners on the open market that can comfortably shoulder top-four minutes.
Two options the Leafs have already been connected to as July 1 draws closer are Brett Pesce and Sean Walker. Both have historically been positive possession forces. While Pesce is coming off a down year offensively, the longtime Hurricane has a solid history of tossing up 20-plus assists per season. Walker was an absolute monster at getting the puck on net this year, though, managing 150 shots on goal (32nd among NHL defenders) despite averaging fewer than 20 minutes per game. Both are logical fits and upgrades over the rotating cast of Brodie, Joel Edmundson, Mark Giordano and Ilya Lyubushkin that was utilized down the stretch and in the postseason.
The Marner Conundrum
Despite producing over a point per game in six straight seasons, Marner immediately found himself in trade speculation after being limited to just one goal and two assists in seven playoff games. Like Matthews and Nylander, Marner likely wasn’t playing at 100 percent after sustaining a high ankle sprain in a regular-season game against the Bruins weeks earlier. But he’s entering the final season of his contract, is headed toward unrestricted free agency, and there’s little appetite to work on an extension on July 1 with another playoff disappointment fresh on everyone’s minds.
Reporting indicates the Leafs haven’t directly approached Marner about waiving his no-move clause, and the 27-year-old has made it clear he wants to stay in his hometown. They likely won’t do so until receiving a serious trade offer, and the likelihood of one of those coming through correlates directly with how aggressively Treliving shops him this summer, if at all.
The question for a Maple Leafs team in win-now mode is simple. Is the potential value of reallocating Marner’s $10.9MM cap hit next season greater than what he’ll give you on the ice? What he is is a consistent 100-point threat (if healthy) who averages over 21 minutes per game and finds himself consistently earning outside Selke Trophy consideration. Playoff disappointment aside, he’s a superstar.
It’s a tough question to answer, but one Treliving and his staff need to in short order.
Complement Woll
Perhaps the greatest certainty about the Leafs’ summer is that Ilya Samsonov will find a new home in unrestricted free agency. That leaves the up-and-coming Joseph Woll as the sole keeper of the crease for now, but they’ll need to find a solid complementary piece to give them better overall goaltending than last season’s roller-coaster ride.
Shelling out for a high-priced starter will be a controversial decision. Woll is still only 25, had a solid regular season and was excellent in brief playoff action this year before getting injured (.964 SV%, 0.86 GAA). He should likely be trusted for around 40 starts – which means the assets needed to acquire a Jacob Markström or Juuse Saros could wisely be repurposed elsewhere.
Unfortunately, the list of established true tandem options is incredibly small. They’ve been connected to Laurent Brossoit, who’s headed to UFA status next month. He’s had great numbers over the past two seasons, logging a .927 SV% through stops in Vegas and Winnipeg, but has never started more than 22 games in a season. He’s an upgrade on Samsonov over smaller stints, but questions will remain about how well he can handle an extended workload.
Find Cost-Effective Forward Depth
The Leafs had no problem putting the puck in the net last year, at least in the regular season. Their 303 goals were second in the league, influenced by a combined 109 snipes from Matthews and Nylander. But as it stands, no player projected in their bottom six next season had more than 0.5 points per game last year, a difficult stat to acquiesce for a team with championship aspirations.
One thing that would be a major boost is pushing shutdown pivot David Kämpf squarely into a fourth-line role. It’s not the most attractive option for a player with a $2.4MM cap hit, but averaging north of 13 minutes per game isn’t feasible for a player who provides as little offense as he does. He’s certainly a capable fourth-line defensive center on a Cup winner, but right now, they’re asking too much. Thus, at least one middle-six option is needed to help create a domino effect and spread out some scoring depth, plus a few more if they do indeed move on from Marner.
A spot can hopefully be filled by either Easton Cowan or Fraser Minten, their two top forward prospects, the former of whom is coming off an electric OHL postseason performance that earned him playoff MVP honors. After 96 points in 54 regular-season games and 34 points in 18 playoff games, Cowan is a solid bet for at least a nine-game trial out of the gate, but they need insurance options in the semi-likely event neither is ready to be an everyday top-nine force.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Free Agent Focus: New Jersey Devils
Free agency is now just a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Devils.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Dawson Mercer – For many players and the team, the 2023-24 NHL season for New Jersey paled compared to the prior year. Caught up in this negative trend, Mercer saw a seven-goal and 16-assist dropoff compared to the season he put together in 2022-23. However, under the tutelage of head coach Sheldon Keefe, Mercer should be relied upon quite heavily as a secondary scorer in the lineup. The front office may opt for a bridge deal with Mercer to save cap room for outside additions this summer, given that the team is bogged down with lengthy contracts to star players.
G Nico Daws – In one of the most dramatic goalie carousels of the 2023-24 season, the Devils used five different netminders this past year, with Daws finishing second in games played. In 20 starts, Daws compiled a record of 9-11-0 while posting a .894 save percentage and a 3.15 goals-against average. Daws did not fare much better in the American Hockey League, as he posted a similar SV% of .890 with the Utica Comets. Hoping to revamp their goaltending up and down the organization this summer, Daws may find himself on the open market if New Jersey does not tender him a qualifying offer.
G Akira Schmid – Posting almost identical stats to Daws this past season, Schmid started in 15 games for the Devils. Carrying a record of 5-9-1 in those 15 starts with a .895 SV% and 3.15 GAA, Schmid did not perform adequately enough to keep New Jersey above water. In a similar fashion to Daws, Schmid produced nearly the same in Utica, which makes him a non-tender candidate heading into the offseason.
Other RFAs: F Nolan Foote, D Callan Foote, F Michael McLeod, D Santeri Hatakka
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
G Kaapo Kahkonen – Brought in at the trade deadline from the San Jose Sharks for a last-ditch effort to make the playoffs, Kahkonen’s solid play for New Jersey failed to move the needle in any meaningful way. After the trade, Kahkonen started in six games for the Devils, posting a 1-4-0 record while earning an exceptional .923 SV% and 2.51 goals-against average. Despite Kahkonen’s strong numbers, New Jersey will likely opt to retain Jake Allen as the backup for next season, while looking outside the organization for a legitimate starting goaltender. Even though his total production from the 2023-24 season was largely depressed during his time with the Sharks, Kahkonen should be able to land a backup gig this summer.
D Brendan Smith – Over the past two years, Smith has been a valuable veteran on New Jersey’s blue line. In one of his best offensive seasons since his time with the Detroit Red Wings, Smith posted five goals and 15 points over 63 games for the Devils this season. Unfortunately for Smith, with New Jersey graduating defensive prospects such as Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec, his time in the Garden State will likely end. Staying on the East Coast for much of his career, Smith should land a deal as a depth defenseman for another team in the NHL’s Metropolitan Division.
Other UFAs: F Tomas Nosek, F Chris Tierney, D Nick DeSimone, F Kyle Criscuolo, D Tyler Wotherspoon, G Keith Kinkaid
Projected Cap Space
Now that the cap ceiling for the 2024-25 NHL season has officially been set at $88MM, this puts the Devils with just over $19MM to work with this summer. With little of those dollars needing to be spent on retaining internal players this summer, New Jersey should have plenty of flexibility to acquire a top-level netminder. Over the past few weeks, the Devils have been connected to Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators, Linus Ullmark from the Boston Bruins, and Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames.
Although the Devils are looking to acquire top-level talent to return to contention next year, they must be mindful of upcoming extension candidates. On July 1st, L. Hughes will be eligible for a contract extension, meaning New Jersey must factor in a potential long-term deal in their offseason planning.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
Free Agent Focus: New York Islanders
Free agency is now just a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Islanders.
Key Restricted Free Agents
RW Simon Holmstrom – Holmstrom had a breakthrough season in 2023-24 notching 15 goals and 10 assists in 75 games while providing terrific penalty killing. However, a deeper dive into his numbers reveals that the 23-year-old had a 20.8% shooting percentage that inflated his goal total and is likely to drop significantly next season. Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello has historically been a tough negotiator with younger players which will likely keep Holmstrom’s AAV down on his next deal. A bridge deal in the range of $1.25MM – $1.5MM per season seems likely for Holmstrom, who will be looking to build off a solid season.
F Kyle MacLean – MacLean will come into the 2024-25 season as one of the favorites to take over the Islanders’ fourth-line center role. The 25-year-old emerged this season from Bridgeport and proved to be a strong forechecker that forced defensemen to move the puck quickly and also provided excellent backchecking in the Islanders’ defensive zone. MacLean won’t score much, but he is strong defensively and can get around the ice to cause disruption. He seems destined to get a two or three-year bridge deal in the range of $900K – $1MM.
RW Oliver Wahlstrom – Wahlstrom had a couple of decent seasons to start his NHL career but has fallen on hard times the last two years totalling just nine goals and 13 assists in 67 games. A knee injury in 2022 has certainly played a role in him losing some of his momentum but on the ice Wahlstrom looks like a player that has lost his confidence. A change of scenery trade would greatly benefit the 23-year-old and give the Islanders an asset for a player who seems to have played his way out of favor with the franchise. The native of Portland, Maine is a former 11th overall pick, and would likely still have some value left, but the best the Islanders might get is a swap for another former first-round pick that has struggled to begin their career.
Other RFAs: D Dennis Cholowski, C Ruslan Iskhakov, F Kyle MacLean, C Reece Newkirk, RW Tyce Thompson,
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
D Sebastian Aho – Aho is a skilled defenseman and a good passer who has posted some good numbers in the American Hockey League. However, in the NHL Aho’s size has made it difficult for him to use that skill to his advantage as he is frequently forced into giveaways. Aho is a smart player and can chip in on a power play, however, his skill set is best suited for a bottom pairing, preferably one where his partner has some size. Aho should get a short multi-year deal with an average annual value in the range of $1.5MM to $2MM.
RW Cal Clutterbuck – Clutterbuck’s play fell off considerably last season as the Islanders were hammered in the possession department when the 36-year-old took to the ice. While he was never an analytics darling, Clutterbuck’s 37.6% CF% at even strength (as per Hockey Reference) represented a career-low and the Islanders were under attack whenever his line was deployed. Clutterbuck’s pace remains okay, and he is still a physical force, however, at this late stage of his career, he is a below-average fourth-line player. Clutterbuck will still find work this summer, but it will likely be on a one-year deal around $1MM.
F Matt Martin – Much like Clutterbuck, Martin’s play last year fell off as did his ice time. Martin’s average ice time per game dropped almost a full two minutes and when he was on the ice the results weren’t great. Martin had just four goals and four assists in 57 games and his physicality trailed off as he appeared to wear down as the season went on. It was surprising to see his play drop off so dramatically as Martin had a career year in 2022-23, but one might wonder if Father Time finally caught up with the 35-year-old. Martin is another candidate for a one-year deal in the range of $1MM.
Other UFAs: G Ken Appleby, D Robert Bortuzzo, RW Karson Kuhlman, F Otto Koivula, D Paul LaDue, F Brian Pinho, D Mike Reilly, D Robin Salo
Projected Cap Space
The Islanders are extremely limited this offseason as they have just over $6.5MM in cap space and 5-6 roster spots left to fill. The team does have several veterans they could try to move this summer to open up cap room but would likely need to retain some salary in order to facilitate a move. New York is in a tough spot that is similar to their divisional counterpart the Pittsburgh Penguins in that they are firmly committed to an expensive and aging roster. However, unlike the Penguins, there isn’t a lot of indication that the Islanders are looking to get younger and faster. The Islanders are a team that could be aggressive this summer as general manager Lamoriello tries to squeeze one more deep playoff run out of this group of veterans.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
Free Agent Focus: New York Rangers
Free agency is now just a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Rangers.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Kaapo Kakko – Kaapo Kakko’s pending free agency has become just as prolific as the rest of his early career, with the former second-overall pick not doing much to warrant a shiny new contract after a big step back this season. Kakko scored 18 goals and 40 points last year, beginning to vie for a
somewhat comfortable role in the Rangers’ top-six, but he lost his momentum with just 13 goals and 19 points this year. It’s the third season of Kakko’s five-year career where he’s managed fewer than 20 points, with his career totals now sat at 117 points through 300 games. The measly scoring has continued into the postseason, where Kakko has just nine points in 44 career games. It’s hard to give up on one of the top names from an illustrious 2019 top 10, but New York will certainly use these contract negotiations as a chance to reset their expectations for the Finnish forward.
D Braden Schneider – Juxtaposing Kakko’s tame years with the Rangers, Schneider has done everything and then some to show he’s deserving of an everyday spot in the Rangers lineup since making his debut in 2021. He played in all 82 games this season and posted five goals and 19 points, one-upping his 18-point career-high set in 81 games last year. His ice time grew from an average of just 15 minutes in October to 17 minutes in the postseason, with Schneider even receiving top-line minutes multiple times throughout the season. It’s been a statement year for Schneider, who can enter negotiations confident that the Rangers will want to lock him up for the foreseeable future. But what price that term will require is yet to be seen. In a year with very few pending free agents, Schneider will be New York’s most integral re-signing.
D Ryan Lindgren – Amidst two restricted free agents on very different ends of the scale, Lindgren exists somewhere in the middle. His value is divisive, though he’s done a lot to show his worth as a stout defensive defender – even working his way into a confident second-pair and penalty-killing role this season. Lindgren posted 17 points in 76 games along the way, sticking within three points of his scoring totals in every season of his career. That consistency is commendable, if nothing else, and should be enough to pique New York’s interest. The Rangers could lock up their defense for the long-term this summer, a dream opportunity for a team faced with once again reconstructing the offense.
Other RFAs: F Karl Henriksson, F Bobby Trivigno, D Matthew Robertson, G Olof Lindbom
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
F Jack Roslovic – The Rangers acquired Roslovic at the Trade Deadline, sending a 2026 fourth-round pick back to the Columbus Blue Jackets. And while his play was ultimately a bit hot-and-cold in New York, he vindicated the cheap acquisition cost with 16 points in 35 games with the Rangers, split between the regular season and the playoffs. Roslovic served in his patented third-line role with the Rangers, offering grit and all-three-zones impact but never jumping off the page. As a result, his minutes were the first on the chopping block when the Rangers welcomed back Filip Chytil, bumping Roslovic down to the fourth line where he struggled to score. Roslovic was by no means detrimental in his short tenure with the Rangers, but he’s already lost when faced with competition for minutes. He plays a style that the Rangers welcome, and it’d be no surprise to see him return, but he could quickly price himself out of that option on a Rangers team with less than $12MM in cap space.
F Alexander Wennberg – Wennberg was another Deadline acquisition for the Rangers,
costing them a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fourth-round pick in a trade with the Seattle Kraken. The 25-year-old forward went on to struggle with the Rangers, posting just seven points through 35 games. He rotated around the team’s bottom-six, offering helpful lineup flexibility and even slotting onto special teams at points. Wennberg expressed interest in returning to New York in his exit interviews, even despite his modest role. He’ll likely be willing to take a cheap deal to make that happen, slotting him back in to a busy competition for minutes in New York’s bottom-six.
F Blake Wheeler – Wheeler’s last hoorah with the Rangers didn’t go entirely as planned, with the veteran forward playing in just 56 total games this season, after missing three months of the year’s second-half with a leg injury. He posted a just 21 points on the year, his lowest scoring since the 2009-10 season – his second year in the league. Wheeler’s recovery journey and valiant push to return for the playoffs have dominated much of the conversation around him, but the topic of retirement is looming. He will turn 38 before the start of next season and just had his one-year, $800K contract with the Rangers spoiled by injury. The Rangers are now rich with bottom-six forwards and likely don’t have room for Wheeler even if he does want to play another year. He’s likely set on testing the waters of the open market, which should help him make a call on if he’s ready to quit.
D Erik Gustafsson – New York has a wealth of depth defense options, especially as players like Matthew Robertson and Brandon Scanlin adjust more to NHL roles. But Gustafsson brought an exciting spark to the Rangers blue line, posting a strong 31 points in 76 games without ever looking like much of a liability on defense. He was an ace up Peter Laviolette’s sleeve, typically serving bottom-pair minutes but always ready to jump into a top-pair role should the Rangers need a boost. Extending Gustafsson runs the risk of creating a logjam on New York’s blue line. But the veteran defender seemed well-adjusted to the team’s systems and offers cheap depth that’s likely too valuable for New York to pass-up.
Other UFAs: D Chad Ruhwedel, F Nic Petan, F Tyler Pitlick, D Nikolas Brouilard, D Mac Hollowell
Projected Cap Space
New York is entering the off-season with just $11.61MM in cap space, getting a slight boost from the announcement of an $88MM cap ceiling. That should be enough money for them to re-sign any of their pending free agents that they wish to keep, though Schneider’s deal could quickly eat up space if it mirrors the long-term deals of players like Jake Sanderson, Mattias Samuelsson, and Alex Vlasic. Securing Schneider, and their picks of Lindgren and Gustafsson, will solidify a Rangers blue-line that looked sound for much of last season – but it may come at the cost of parting with their plethora of depth forwards.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
Offseason Checklist: Nashville Predators
The offseason has arrived for all but the two teams who are still taking part in the playoffs. For the rest, it’s time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at Nashville.
It looked like Nashville was pivoting to a rebuild with the moves they made last summer but instead, it wound up being more of the same even with some core pieces gone and other new core players in place. The Preds went on a major hot streak in the second half of the season, recording at least a point in a franchise-record 18 straight games which helped secure them a Wild Card spot. However, they weren’t able to muster up much offense in the playoffs, resulting in a first-round elimination. Now, assuming they’re not looking to rebuild now, GM Barry Trotz will have several objectives to try to accomplish this summer.
Replace McDonagh
Trotz made one notable move this offseason, sending Ryan McDonagh back to Tampa Bay, fulfilling a request from the blueliner. In doing so, he took one of their more notable defenders out of their lineup. While they offloaded his full $6.75MM cap hit and got a second-rounder, they didn’t get anything back that could help the current roster while creating a big hole to fill.
This past season, McDonagh was second on the team in ice time behind only Roman Josi. He was also second in points by a blueliner and blocked shots while leading all Nashville players in shorthanded ice time. Suffice it to say, they need to find an impactful replacement.
Brandon Montour is the only pending unrestricted free agent who averaged more than McDonagh’s 21:47 per game in 2023-24. Having said that, veterans like Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce can also fill that void. Chris Tanev would be a shorter-term addition to cover some hard defensive minutes while Matt Roy could be more of an under-the-radar fit. Alternatively, they could look to the trade market.
With Alexandre Carrier and Tyson Barrie also set to hit the open market next month, the Preds will also have some work to do in terms of adding some depth. But on top of that, they’re going to need to find a top-three defender if they want to hang around the playoff picture.
Decide Saros’ Future
This time a year ago, there was speculation that the Predators were open to moving Yaroslav Askarov with an eye on making a splash either at the draft or to upgrade their roster. Clearly, that never materialized and the young netminder had a strong season with AHL Milwaukee and remains their goaltender of the future.
How close the future is remains to be seen, however. Veteran goaltender Juuse Saros is set to enter the final year of his contract next season, one that carries a below-market $5MM AAV. The 29-year-old’s numbers for the year weren’t spectacular but he was much better in the second half of the year and had a strong showing in the playoffs. That has him well-positioned to earn a considerable raise on his next deal. On the surface, he could make a case for a contract similar to the seven-year, $59.5MM pact ($8.5MM AAV) that Connor Hellebuyck signed with Winnipeg last season.
With Askarov in the picture, is it advisable for them to commit that type of deal to Saros? If they feel they should do that, then it’s possible that Askarov could be in play once again. On the flip side, if Trotz feels that it’s not worth paying that type of contract, then the decision becomes about trading him now or keeping him into next season and re-assessing closer to the trade deadline.
If they look to move him in the coming weeks, it might be tough to elicit top value with Jacob Markstrom and Linus Ullmark (among others) believed to be available as well. While that means there could be more demand for starting goalies, the higher supply could lower the offers coming Nashville’s way. Generally speaking, teams typically get better returns if they move a goalie in the offseason but it’s certainly possible that this isn’t the case this year with the other netminders in play.
On the surface, this could be Nashville’s biggest decision of the summer. Is it time to hand the reins to Askarov? They’ll have to determine the answer to this question probably within the next few weeks.
Add Scoring Depth
Under Andrew Brunette, the Predators went from 27th in goals scored in 2022-23 to 10th this season, gaining 40 extra goals in the process. However, they struggled considerably in that department in their opening-round loss to Vancouver, scoring just a dozen times in six games even with the Canucks playing most of that series without starting goaltender Thatcher Demko.
To that in, despite their improvement in the regular season, Trotz told Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic (subscription link) that he’s looking to add up front, particularly in their top nine so they’re not as reliant on the top line as they were at times. Before looking at the external options, they will need to consider some internal ones, however.
Youngsters Juuso Parssinen, Philip Tomasino, and Egor Afanasyev all spent time in the minors this season (the latter almost the entire year) but are all now waiver-eligible moving forward. Parssinen and Tomasino have had some success in Nashville at times but haven’t been the most consistent so far. Trotz will need to identify which ones are in the plans for 2024-25 and if any aren’t, this might be the time to try to move them before running the risk of having to sneak them through waivers. But one (or more) of them establishing themselves as regulars next season should help their offensive depth at a minimum.
As for free agent options, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them take a run at re-signing Jason Zucker who fit in pretty well after being acquired at the trade deadline. Beyond that, since their focus seems to be on improving their depth, they’re probably not going to be targeting the top end of the UFA class. But veterans like Tyler Toffoli and Vladimir Tarasenko could appeal as multi-year veteran options while Jake DeBrusk and Teuvo Teravainen could be longer-term fits. With $26MM in cap space per CapFriendly, they will have room to add a forward or two even after addressing their defensive situation.
Improve Penalty Kill
During the regular season, Nashville’s penalty was a trouble spot. Their success rate dropped to just 76.9%, good for 22nd in the league. For comparison, they were at 82.6% in 2022-23, good for a three-way tie for fourth in the NHL in that regard. The slippage shorthanded likely played a role in their decision to let assistant coach Dan Hinote go late last month as one of his responsibilities was running the penalty kill.
For starters, they’ll need to find a replacement for Hinote behind the bench who will likely take on his old role. That’s something they’d probably like to have in place before free agency opens up next month.
It wouldn’t be surprising if penalty killing acumen will be among the priorities that Nashville uses to round out their back end to replace Carrier (assuming he doesn’t re-sign) and Barrie. There are plenty of depth defensemen available on the open market, several of which can handle heavy penalty killing roles while the lower-end blueliners are typically easier to get on the trade market. They should be able to address this in the coming weeks.
Things get a little harder when it comes to their forwards. They already have ten returning forwards, not including the three now-waiver-eligible ones mentioned earlier. If they bring Zucker back and/or add another offensive forward, that fills one hold but probably doesn’t address the penalty killing element unless they’re bringing in a notable two-way player. It might require shaking up the fourth line that was quietly effective or moving out someone already there to open up a roster spot to bring in more of a penalty killing specialist to help get this unit back on track. It’s not a must-fix priority but it’s one that Trotz will likely try to address nonetheless.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Free Agent Focus: Ottawa Senators
Free agency is now just a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Senators.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Shane Pinto – After a contract holdout over the summer and a 41-game suspension from the NHL for violating the league’s gambling policies, Pinto settled for a one-year, $775K contract with
the Senators when everything was said and done. Pinto rewarded Ottawa’s loyalty, proving that his 2022-23 NHL season was not a fluke. In 41 games, Pinto scored nine goals and 27 points, finishing 11th on the team in scoring despite playing in half as many games as his peers. The Senators organization has much more financial flexibility, unlike last year. Infamously, the Senators former front office signed free agent Vladimir Tarasenko to a one-year, $5MM contract, eliminating any room to retain Pinto. As a legitimate top-six forward, Ottawa should be able to give Pinto a four- to five-year deal between $4MM-$5MM annually this summer.
D Erik Brannstrom – As the headlining prospect in the deal that landed Mark Stone with the Vegas Golden Knights, Brannstrom had high expectations attached to him in the Senators organization. At the AHL level with the Chicago Wolves and the Belleville Senators, Brannstrom showed flashes of being a top-four puck-moving defensive prospect. Unfortunately, Brannstrom has been able to sustain any offensive production at the NHL level, topping out with 20 points achieved this past year. A few days ago, it had been reported that Ottawa is undecided about issuing Brannstrom a qualifying offer this offseason, which would allow the young defenseman to sign with any team in the league.
Other RFAs: F Parker Kelly, F Boris Katchouk, F Angus Crookshank, D Lassi Thomson, G Kevin Mandolese, G Mads Sogaard
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
F Dominik Kubalik – Included in the return package in the trade that sent Alex DeBrincat to the Detroit Red Wings, Kubalik primarily served as a middle-six scoring option for the Senators this season. Kubalik finished the 2023-24 NHL season with 11 goals and four assists in 74 games while posting some of his career-worst defensive and possession metrics. Now that Ottawa has some flexibility to improve upon Kubalik in the middle-six of their forward core, he will most likely head for a different organization this summer. Kubalik could look for an open role with any of the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, or Chicago Blackhawks organizations — as each will be scouring the market for any goal-scoring talent they can find.
Other UFAs: F Rourke Chartier, F Josh Currie, F Matthew Highmore, F Bokondji Imama, F Jiri Smejkal, D Dillon Heatherington
Projected Cap Space
Now that the upper limit of the 2024-25 NHL salary has officially been set at $88MM, we now have a clear picture of what each team will be working with this summer. The Senators organization owns just under $12.5MM in cap space this summer without any relatively pricey restricted or unrestricted free agents to worry about.
With this being the first offseason for Steve Staios at the helm of Ottawa’s front office, he should have the flexibility to bring in two to three NHL-caliber talents to round out the team’s depth. Furthermore, if Staios can move out the contracts of Jakob Chychrun or Mathieu Joseph before free agency opens up on July 1st, the Senators could acquire a top-level goaltender for the organization via trade.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
How Will The Blues Manage Their No-Trade Clauses?
Even before the 2023-24 NHL season, the St. Louis Blues held slim hopes of cracking one of the top three spots in the NHL’s Central Division. The team was only a year removed from finishing 37-38-11, falling to sixth place in the division, and trading off the likes of Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly during that year’s trade deadline season.
Aside from moving out veteran rentals, the General Manager of the organization, Doug Armstrong, became adamant about shaking up the team’s defensive core last summer. In one of the biggest trades to not happen, the Blues had a deal in place to send struggling defenseman Torey Krug and his bloated contract to the Philadelphia Flyers. As things would turn out, Krug ultimately used the no-trade protection given to him in his current deal to block his inclusion in the trade, leading to a much smaller deal of Kevin Hayes being acquired for a sixth-round draft selection.
While largely bringing back the same defensive core into the 2023-24 season, the Blues performed much better but would end up on the outside looking in. As the best team to not make it into the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, St. Louis finished fifth in the Central Division with a 43-33-6 record. Although Jordan Binnington put together a solid year, the Blues’ downfall would again be their defensive core and lackluster play.
Heading into the summer, St. Louis will once again be looking to shake up their defensive core, which will require superb innovation from Armstrong. Krug, Justin Faulk, Colton Parayko, and Nick Leddy have full no-trade clauses built into their contracts until next summer, meaning Armstrong will need their full cooperation for any trade moving them out of the organization. However, even if Armstrong could convince one of the players to waive their protection, the return value would likely be subpar at best.
If one is not moved this offseason, the quartet will account for just under 27% of the Blues’ total cap space next season. Armstrong could look to move one in a classic hockey trade to address other organizational needs, or strictly go the route of a cost-saving technique. Leddy should represent the most likely to move out of the four given that his contract will end after the 2025-26 NHL season with a manageable $4MM AAV for the remaining years.
Approaching his 15th season in the NHL, Leddy just turned 33 years old and has continued to be a reliable puck-mover from the back end. Throughout the regular season, Leddy played in all 82 games for St. Louis and scored three goals while putting up 25 assists, 23 of which were at even strength. If Armstrong can convince the Eden Prairie, MN native to waive his no-trade protection this offseason, moving out Leddy would allow the Blues to save valuable cap space and open a spot for Scott Perunovich in the top four of the defensive core.
Free Agent Focus: Philadelphia Flyers
Free agency is now just a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Flyers.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Bobby Brink – Brink finally found consistent playing time in the NHL, dressing in 57 games, potting 11 goals and 12 assists. The former second-round pick competes hard despite being an undersized, below-average skater and has good hands and vision around the net. Brink showed he can be part of the Flyers core going forward and is a good bet to get a bridge contract for 2-3 years with an AAV between $1MM-$2M.
G Carter Hart – Carter Hart is owed a $4.479MM qualifying offer and given his legal status it is unlikely that he will receive an offer, which the league hasn’t yet. The Flyers already have Samuel Ersson and Ivan Fedotov under contract for next season, and it was reported in April that Hart’s trial likely won’t begin until the end of 2025.
D Yegor Zamula – Zamula enjoyed his first full season in the NHL in 2023-24 after spending parts of the previous three years with the Flyers. The 24-year-old showed good mobility and poise in the defensive zone and moves the puck well with a confident first pass, however, he is not an offensive playmaker and lacks consistency. He will also need to find a way to use his 6’3” frame more effectively when defending the net. Zamula also figures to receive a bridge contract from the Flyers in the range of $1MM – $2MM.
Other RFAs: D Adam Ginning, D Mason Millman, D Will Zmolek
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
F Denis Gurianov – Gurianov is an intriguing free agent as he has a good pedigree having been drafted 12th overall back in 2015, however, the 27-year-old hasn’t been able to put his skillset together at the NHL despite being given ample opportunities. He played just four games for the Flyers last season after coming over in a mid-season trade from Nashville and posted zero points while dominating on the possession front (60% CF% as per Hockey Reference). Gurianov has a 20-season to his credit but has bounced between four organizations the last two years and seems destined for a new one this summer.
D Erik Johnson – Johnson is a former first-overall pick that brings almost no offense but handles his duty in the defensive zone with physicality. There is no flash to Johnson’s game, but he can still provide a good safety blanket if paired on a third pairing with an offensively-minded defensive partner. Johnson made $3.25MM last season on a one-year deal but is unlikely to duplicate that number this offseason. Another one-year contract is in order for the 36-year-old, but it seems unlikely that the Flyers will be a fit for him.
D Marc Staal –Staal is nearing the end of his career, but he remains an NHL player at this stage, albeit in the role of a sixth or seventh defenseman. The Thunder Bay, Ontario native remains a good shot blocker and battler along the boards and in front of his own net, but he is very limited with his skating and the puck on his stick. Staal has trouble playing against teams with speed as he has issues containing the puck carrier and finding space to make plays with the puck. Staal is likely to get another one-year contract in the $1MM range, although it seems unlikely it will be with the Flyers.
Other UFAs: C Adam Brooks, F Tanner Laczynski, F Cooper Marody, D Victor Mete, G Felix Sandstrom
Projected Cap Space
The Flyers have precious little in the way of cap space as they head into the offseason. As of right now, they have just a tick above $500K in room under the cap. That number will grow closer to $7MM when the club accounts for LTIR candidates. Philadelphia has a laundry list of needs and very little room to maneuver which is why the team is considering buyouts for several overpriced veterans. The Flyers will also have the pending free agency of Travis Konecny to consider as he is just a year away from unrestricted free agency. The team will need to get creative if they want to address some of their needs which could make for a busy summer for general manager Daniel Briere.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.