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RFA

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Oliver Bjorkstrand To Three-Year Deal

July 15, 2018 at 11:09 am CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

The Columbus Blue Jackets announced they have signed their final restricted free agent as the team has come to terms with forward Oliver Bjorkstrand on a three-year contract. NHL.com’s Brian Hedger reports the deal is for $7.5MM with a $2.5MM AAV.

The deal constitutes a bridge deal as the 23-year-old winger will still have one season left as a restricted free agent when this deal ends in 2021 and he will have arbitration rights at that point. The $2.5MM salary is solid raise from the $872K he was making on his entry-level deal.

Bjorkstrand is the last of three restricted free agents the Blue Jackets had to deal with. The promising forward had a solid year in Columbus in his first full season there. He posted 11 goals and 40 points in 82 games. A third-round pick in 2013, Bjorkstrand showed immediate promise for Columbus after being drafted when he posted 50 goals for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL and then followed that up with 63 the next year. A fast-skating forward with a hard shot and quick release, he has produced at the AHL level, while splitting time in Columbus the next two years, but earned himself a full-time role this past year.

“He is just scratching the surface of the type of player he can be and we believe he has the potential to be a dynamic offensive player for our club,” said Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen (via Hedger).

With the deal in place, Columbus will have $5.6MM in salary cap space remaining with 24 players under contract, so the team will have to make adjustments to their roster as they can only have 23 when the season starts.

Columbus Blue Jackets| Jarmo Kekalainen| RFA Oliver Bjorkstrand

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Flyers Sign RFA’s Taylor Leier And Tyrell Goulbourne

July 15, 2018 at 9:51 am CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

The Philadelphia Flyers have had a busy morning, announcing new one-year contracts for both Taylor Leier and Tyrell Goulbourne and confirming the signing of Danick Martel, also to a one-year deal which had been previously reported. While Martel simply accepted his qualifying offer, the other two contracts were negotiated. No salary terms were revealed by the team, but CapFriendly reports that Leier will make $720K on a one-way deal, while Goulbourne will likely play on a two-way deal similar to Martel’s.

Leier’s contract is interesting for many reasons. The first, and most pressing, is that it negates an August 3rd arbitration hearing date. Leier had filed for salary arbitration after spending the entire 2017-18 season in Philadelphia. While Leier only played in 39 games, it is easy to see why he might not be agreeable to a two-way deal after avoiding the AHL for an entire campaign. However, Leier’s qualifying offer was of a two-way nature. Rather than agree to that deal, the two sides worked out a contract that actually comes in below the qualifying offer value, but with a one-way status. Leier, 24, collected five points last season and will be looking to improve his production in the coming season.

Goulbourne finally cracked the NHL last season after his first two pro years were spent entirely in the minors, including half a season in the ECHL. The 24-year-old managed to get into nine games with the Flyers, though he was held scoreless and saw under six minutes of ice time per night in a fill-in role. Goulbourne wasn’t super productive with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms either, recording just 19 points in 63 games. Although Goulbourne is a more defensive-minded forward, he’ll need to show a more well-rounded offensive game if he wants to earn another long stay in Philadelphia.

With these three forwards locked up, Philadelphia has just two more restricted free agents to deal with. Defenseman Robert Hagg, who was very reliable in 70 games as a rookie on the Flyers’ blue line, is a interesting case to follow, as the team needs to be careful about the length and value of the contracts they hand out to their many promising young defenseman, as setting a bad precedent could bury them. The situation with goaltender Anthony Stolarz is also curious, as the young keeper missed most of last season due to injury after previously looking like a future star in seven starts with Philly in 2016-17. He now has to compete with Alex Lyon and Carter Hart for the honor of “heir apparent” and the Flyers might be wondering if that is one goalie too many to compete or at least how much they are willing to pay to keep another young backstop around.

AHL| Arbitration| ECHL| Injury| Philadelphia Flyers| RFA Alex Lyon| Anthony Stolarz| Robert Hagg| Taylor Leier

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Philadelphia Extends Forward Danick Martel

July 15, 2018 at 9:30 am CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

7/15: The team has confirmed the deal, revealing that Martel simply accepted his qualifying offer.

7/12: The Philadelphia Flyers have reached an agreement on a new contract for depth forward Danick Martel. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that it is a one-year, two-way deal for the restricted free agent. Martel will reportedly make $715K at the NHL level.

This deal could prove to be a great value for the Flyers. Martel, 23. was a top-20 goal scorer in the AHL last season with 25 tallies in 59 games. He was one of the top contributors for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, especially in the postseason when he was second on the team in scoring with eight points in 13 games. Martel also cracked 100 points in his final junior season with the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armanda prior to signing with the Flyers. Despite his very small stature – he stands just 5’8″ and weighs in at 161 pounds – Martel has also proven to be a gritty, irritating presence that bothers the opposition, forces turnovers, and draws penalties. In addition to being an offensive force, Martel has been one of the better plus/minus players for the Phantoms in recent years.

While Martel went scoreless in four games up with the Flyers last season, he now enters the 2018-19 season with that experience and hopes to replicate his results in the minors if given another chance at the NHL. Martel will likely get that chance from Philadelphia and maybe even a longer look this time around. Although primarily a left winger, Martel can line up at all three forward positions. He can also play both a scoring or energy role. This versatility should afford Martel the chance to prove himself sooner rather than later and an injury up front for Philly could land him a long-term role.

AHL| Philadelphia Flyers| QMJHL| RFA

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Sabres Re-Sign RFA Forward Danny O’Regan

July 15, 2018 at 9:16 am CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

The Buffalo Sabres continue to work through a substantial list of restricted free agents. While it was reported yesterday that they had agreed to terms with forward Nicholas Baptiste, the team this morning both confirmed that deal and announced the signing of fellow RFA forward Danny O’Regan. With the deadline for accepting a qualifying offer arriving later today, O’Regan accepted his offer of $874,125 at the NHL level and $70K at the AHL level.

O’Regan was acquired by the Sabres at the NHL Trade Deadline in the deal that sent Evander Kane to the San Jose Sharks. The 2012 fifth-round pick had recorded four assists through 19 games with Sharks prior to the deal and saw action in two contests with Buffalo down the stretch, but was held scoreless. While his NHL offensive efforts to date – five points in 22 games – are underwhelming, O’Regan has not yet been put in a position to succeed, seeing limited ice time in an energy role. That could change in Buffalo, where he joins former Boston University teammates Jack Eichel and Evan Rodrigues up front for the Sabres. O’Regan displayed strong offensive instincts and scoring ability at BU and in his only full season at the AHL level, scoring at a point-per-game pace over the three campaigns. If given proper opportunity up in Buffalo, O’Regan could prove to be an exciting addition.

With O’Regan and Baptiste officially in the books, that still leaves Justin Bailey, C.J. Smith, and most importantly Sam Reinhart as remaining restricted free agents for GM Jason Botterill and the Sabres to sort out. Perhaps before the deadline today, new deals can be hammered out with Bailey and Smith – both of whom could be bound for the AHL for much of next season – but work on Reinhart’s extension is slow and steady.

AHL| Buffalo Sabres| RFA| San Jose Sharks Evan Rodrigues| Evander Kane| Jack Eichel| Justin Bailey| Nicholas Baptiste| Sam Reinhart

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Salary Cap Floor Should Not Pose Problems For Any Team In 2018-19

July 9, 2018 at 8:32 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 2 Comments

The purpose of the salary cap in the NHL is to maintain a sense of competitive balance across the league. That means both limiting how much a team can spend, the salary cap ceiling, but also ensuring that every team is competitive with a minimum expenditure, the salary cap floor. Some teams, generally those in smaller markets or undergoing rebuilds, tend to try to toe the line of the salary cap floor, paying as close to the minimum as possible for their roster. In years past, some teams have even struggled to hit that mark, taking on injured players or overpaying players in order to pass the floor. It’s unlikely that any of the 31 franchises will face that problem in 2018-19.

This season, with a corresponding jump in the salary cap ceiling, the floor moved to $58.8MM. With the bulk of unrestricted free agency accounted for, just three teams currently sit below that mark: the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, and Winnipeg Jets. However, both the Rangers and Jets can immediately be crossed off as a salary floor concern. The pair are perhaps the two teams with the most potential salary tied up in salary arbitration this off-season.

The Jets currently have the lowest projected payroll in the league, with a 16-man roster that accounts for approximately $52.7MM. However, Winnipeg’s list of restricted free agents who have filed for arbitration include Vezina candidate Connor Hellebuyck, defenseman Jacob Trouba, and forwards Adam Lowry, Chris Tanev, and Marko Dano, as well as defenseman Tucker Poolman who did not file. Those six players could easily combine for more than $20MM in combined salary when all is said and done, putting the Jets well clear of the floor and closer to the ceiling. Defenseman Josh Morrissey, who is not arbitration eligible also needs a new contract. Winnipeg is far from a floor concern.

In New York, the Rangers sit at $55.8MM in projected cap committed to 16 players, just $3MM shy of the floor. They also need to re-sign a majority of their young core, with forwards Kevin Hayes, Ryan Spooner, and Jimmy Vesey and defenseman Brady Skjei having filed for arbitration. The Rangers could pass the floor by extending just one of those players, nevertheless all four. New deals for those three forwards still leaves New York one or two shy of a full roster as well, meaning more salary will come into the fold via promotion or an additional acquisition.

As for the Devils, New Jersey is already close to the floor at a projected $56.4MM for 19 players. Forwards Blake Coleman and Stefan Noesen have filed for arbitration and the deals for both could be enough to push the Devils to where they need to be. Even if it doesn’t, the team will still need to sign non-arbitration eligible RFA’s Miles Wood and Steve Santini, whose deals should definitely be enough. New Jersey will likely be a team that hovers close to the floor next season; that didn’t stop them from making the playoffs in 2017-18, though.

Perhaps the only team who should be legitimately concerned about the salary cap floor next season in Ottawa. The Senators and owner Eugene Melnyk have made it no secret that they are trying to shed salary and come in as close to the minimum as possible. Right now, the team sits just $3MM above the floor at a projected $61.8MM roster for 20 players. However, that isn’t including the arbitration resolutions for both defenseman Cody Ceci and forward Mark Stone. Those two deals will put Ottawa well above the floor. Even if the team was to trade star defenseman Erik Karlsson, they should remain above the floor, especially with additional salaries likely to be added in the trade return. The one scenario in which Melnyk could succeed in dropping significant salary would be if both Karlsson and Bobby Ryan were to be traded away. The resulting $13.75MM loss in payable salary would more than offset the contracts for Stone and Ceci and likely the contracts of those players coming back as well, potentially dropping the team below $58.8MM. Yet, even in that case, the Senators’ efforts to fill out their roster after losing Karlsson and Ryan – either by promotion or acquisition – could easily be used to get back to that mark.

The salary cap floor was never intended to be used as a target for teams to hover above and spend as little as possible. The goal of the NHL is have each and every team be competitive, not simply trying to maximize profits. As such, the 2018-19 season has some parity promise as seemingly no team will struggle to get over the floor or have to use contracts for the old and injured to get there. For the first time in years, every team seems set to be competitive and comfortably over the minimum cap hit.

All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.com.

Arbitration| Free Agency| New Jersey Devils| New York Rangers| Ottawa Senators| RFA| Winnipeg Jets Adam Lowry| Bobby Ryan| Brady Skjei| Chris Tanev| Cody Ceci| Connor Hellebuyck| Erik Karlsson| Jacob Trouba| Jimmy Vesey| Kevin Hayes| Mark Stone| Marko Dano| Miles Wood| Salary Cap

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2018 Arbitration Tracker

July 5, 2018 at 3:42 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The deadline to file for player-elected salary arbitration comes in at 4pm today, while the next day brings the deadline for team-elected filings. To understand the entire arbitration process, make sure you read Mike Furlano’s Capology 101 posts from 2016 on the process (part 1, part 2). Filing for arbitration also removes the opportunity for other teams to sign a player to an offer sheet.

Below, you can find a complete list of unsigned arbitration eligible players broken down by team, and their decisions as they come in. Refresh this page often as new information will be added as it comes in.

Anaheim Ducks

F Kalle Kossila
F Kevin Roy
D Andy Welinski
D Brandon Montour – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

Arizona Coyotes

(none)

Boston Bruins

(none)

Buffalo Sabres

F Daniel O’Regan

Calgary Flames

F Garnet Hathaway – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F Mark Jankowski – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F Elias Lindholm – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D Brett Kulak – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
G David Rittich – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

Carolina Hurricanes

F Greg McKegg
D Trevor van Riemsdyk – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration. Re-signed – two-years, $4.6MM

Chicago Blackhawks

(none)

Colorado Avalanche

F Matthew Nieto – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D Patrik Nemeth – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

Columbus Blue Jackets

D Ryan Murray

Dallas Stars

F Gemel Smith – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F Devin Shore – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F Mattias Janmark – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

Detroit Red Wings

F Andreas Athanasiou – Re-signed, two-years $6MM
F Matt Puempel

Edmonton Oilers

F Anton Slepyshev – Will not file, playing in KHL.
F Ryan Strome

Florida Panthers

F Curtis Valk
D MacKenzie Weegar – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D Alexander Petrovic

Los Angeles Kings

D Paul Ladue

Minnesota Wild

F Jason Zucker – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D Mathew Dumba – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

Montreal Canadiens

F Phillip Danault – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F Joel Armia – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

Nashville Predators

F Miikka Salomaki – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

New Jersey Devils

F Stefan Noesen – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F Blake Coleman – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F Nick Lappin
F Kevin Rooney
F Christoph Bertschy – Will not file, playing in NLA.

New York Islanders

F Ross Johnston
F Brock Nelson – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D Devon Toews

New York Rangers

F Jimmy Vesey – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F Ryan Spooner – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F Boo Nieves
F Kevin Hayes – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D Brady Skjei – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D John Gilmour
D Rob O’Gara

Ottawa Senators

F Mark Stone – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D Cody Ceci – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

Philadelphia Flyers

F Taylor Leier – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F Tyrell Goulbourne
D Reece Willcox
G Alex Lyon – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration. Re-signed, two years, $1.5MM.

Pittsburgh Penguins

F Teddy Blueger
F Thomas DiPauli
D Jamie Oleksiak – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D Ethan Prow
D Andrey Pedan – Will not file, playing in KHL.

San Jose Sharks

F Chris Tierney – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

St. Louis Blues

F Beau Bennett
F Dmitrij Jaskin – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration. Signed one-year, $1.1MM after deadline.
F Oskar Sundqvist – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration. Signed one-year, $700K after deadline.
D Joel Edmundson – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration.
D Jordan Schmaltz
D Petteri Lindbohm
G Jordan Binnington

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Cedric Paquette Re-signed one-year, $1MM contract.

Toronto Maple Leafs

F Miro Aaltonen – Will not file, playing in KHL.

Vancouver Canucks

D Troy Stecher – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

Vegas Golden Knights

F Teemu Pulkkinen
F Tomas Nosek – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F William Karlsson – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D Colin Miller – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D Philip Holm
G Oscar Dansk

Washington Capitals

F Tom Wilson
F Liam O’Brien – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

Winnipeg Jets

F Brandon Tanev – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F Adam Lowry – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F J.C. Lipon
F Nicolas Kerdiles
F Marko Dano – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D Tucker Poolman
D Jacob Trouba – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
G Connor Hellebuyck – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

Arbitration| Newsstand| RFA Salary Cap

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Carolina Hurricanes Sign Calvin De Haan

July 3, 2018 at 8:59 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 5 Comments

The Carolina Hurricanes, known for their depth and talent on defense, continue to surprisingly add top blue line names to the roster this off-season. After previously trading for right-handed scoring threat Dougie Hamilton, the team has reportedly agreed to a deal with arguably the top defender on the free agent market, left-landed shutdown defenseman Calvin de Haan. The Raleigh News & Observer’s Luck DeCock first reported that the team has signed de Haan to a four-year, $18.2MM contract – a $4.55MM AAV. The team confirmed the deal soon after.

De Haan, 27, was No. 9 on PHR’s Top 50 Free Agents List. Although he missed the majority of last season due to injury, de Haan has shown a high-end defensive ability in his pro career. The 12th overall pick in 2009 by the New York Islanders, de Haan has proven to be one of the best shot blockers in the NHL and an extremely reliable presence on the back end. Yet has has also improved his offensive production with each year, including a career-best scoring rate prior to his injury last season. While many may have balked at a $4.55MM value for de Haan in a vacuum, he is clearly superior to nearly every other defenseman in this free agent market.

Carolina is a surprise landing spot for the defensive standout though. De Haan’s arrival in Raleigh will only add to a formidable corps of rearguards that includes Hamilton, Justin Faulk, Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, Trevor van Riemsdyk (an RFA), young pros Haydn Fleury and Roland McKeown, and elite prospects Jake Bean, Luke Martin, and Adam Fox. De Haan’s signing very well could be a sign of more changes coming in Carolina under new ownership and new GM Don Waddell. 

Carolina Hurricanes| Injury| New York Islanders| Newsstand| Prospects| RFA Brett Pesce| Calvin de Haan| Dougie Hamilton| Haydn Fleury| Jaccob Slavin| Justin Faulk| Roland McKeown| Trevor Van Riemsdyk

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Blues Re-Sign Robby Fabbri And Mackenzie MacEachern

July 3, 2018 at 6:00 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

The St. Louis Blues remain a busy team this off-season, today inking two restricted free agents to new contract extensions. The team announced a one-year, two-way deal with forward Mackenzie MacEachern and soon after announced a second contract, a one-year, one-way deal for forward Robby Fabbri. The financial terms for neither deal have been disclosed.

Fabbri is the more well-known of these two players, even though he has not played a game since February 2017. The small, speedy winger has been sidelined with multiple ACL injuries in his right knee and missed the entirety of the 2017-18 season. However, Fabbri impressed as a rookie in 2015-16 and was scoring at an even higher rate the following season prior to his initial injury. The Blues have high hopes that the 2014 first-round pick can return to form, but for now it is no surprise that they will play it safe with a one-year deal. Fabbri needs to re-establish his value in St. Louis and that starts with being able to fully participate in training camp this fall and earning his top-nine role back.

MacEachern will also be looking to make an impression on the Blues front office at camp in September, as the 2012 third-rounder still has yet to make his NHL debut through two pro seasons. However, MacEachern faces an uphill battle, as the big forward recorded only ten points with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves last season. MacEachern showed more offensive upside while playing at the University of Michigan, but has yet to find his game at the minors.

After signing two of their restricted free agents today, the Blues now have five qualified RFA’s remaining to sign this off-season, including regulars from last season like winger Dmitrij Jaskin and defenseman Joel Edmundson.

AHL| Injury| RFA| St. Louis Blues Dmitrij Jaskin| Joel Edmundson| Robby Fabbri

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Slater Koekkoek Re-Signs With Tampa Bay Lightning

July 2, 2018 at 1:39 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Tampa Bay Lightning have locked up one of their restricted free agents, signing Slater Koekkoek to a one-year contract worth $865K. The deal is one-way, and could potentially take Koekkoek to Group VI unrestricted free agency next summer if he’s not given an opportunity with the Lightning this year. He needs just four games for the team to retain his rights as an RFA, but with a crowded blue line in Tampa Bay, it’s not a guarantee that he receives the chance.

Koekkoek, 24, was a first round pick of the Lightning in 2012, selected 10th overall. He was expected to become a top-pairing two-way defender, but hasn’t quite made the impact Tampa Bay had hoped. In 76 games he has recorded 13 points, but has now been bumped down the depth chart by additions like Ryan McDonagh. Tampa Bay is committed to contending for the Stanley Cup right now, and can’t wait around hoping Koekkoek continues to develop

If he’s going to ever fulfill his potential, he’ll have to take advantage of the next opportunity he’s given. If not, there might have to be a change of scenery for the left-handed defenseman. The signing doesn’t pose much risk to the Lightning as he can be completely buried in the minor leagues, but that’s certainly not the outcome GM Steve Yzerman is hoping for.

Free Agency| RFA| Tampa Bay Lightning Slater Koekkoek

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Free Agent Focus: Tampa Bay Lightning

June 30, 2018 at 8:32 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

Free agency is now less than a day from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Here is a breakdown of Tampa Bay’s free agent situation.

Key Restricted Free Agent: F Cedric Paquette — Nine points hardly seems like a lot of points for key restricted free agent, but the 24-year-old Paquette isn’t about offense. The defense-first forward has been a key part of the team’s bottom-six line, which included Ryan Callahan and Kunitz line that was constantly put against opponents’ top lines. Now that he’s been qualified, Paquette, who scored just five goals during the regular season (and one in the playoffs) might be more needed than ever with Kunitz likely headed elsehere. Regardless, he could be in line for a significant raise after making $812K last year on his two-year bridge deal. Now with arbitration rights, he could walk away with quite a bit more.

D Slater Koekkoek — The 24-year-old blueliner has worked hard to try and break into the deep defensive core of Tampa Bay and did manage to get into 34 games last season and avoid a trip down to the Syracuse Crunch, but Koekkoek’s usefulness came to an end after Tampa Bay acquired Ryan McDonagh at the trade deadline. From that point on, he appeared in just three regular season games and did not appear in the playoffs. While the team intends to bring him back, recent rumors that the team might consider trading the youngster are also a possibility. He made $800K last year on a one-year deal.

Other RFA’s: F Adam Erne.

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: Andrej Sustr — The 27-year-old depth defender could easily find himself on a new team with the amount of defenders under contract in Tampa Bay. The blueliner had been a regular on the Lightning’s defense over the past three years, but he found himself often a healthy scratch with the addition of players like Mikhail Sergachev, Jake Dotchin, Koekkoek as well as McDonagh. After making $1.95MM last season in the last of his restricted free agent years, the team must decide if they want to bring back the undrafted free agent they signed back in 2013.

Chris Kunitz — The 38-year-old winger was a big part of the Lightning’s shutdown line along with Callahan and Paquette in his one year with Tampa Bay, but there is little indication that Kunitz is expected return. Despite a productive season in which he tallied 13 goals and 29 points last season, rumors suggest he’s interested in a possible return to Pittsburgh.

Other UFA’s: D Mat Bodie, F Erik Condra, F Alex Gallant, D Jamie McBain, F Matthew Peca.

Projected Cap Space: The Lightning don’t have much cap space to work with this offseason as the team has just $5.3MM. On top of that, Tampa Bay has quite a few free agents they must deal with next year including Nikita Kucherov, McDonagh and Yanni Gourde to name a few, so they need to have as much cap room to maneuver with as possible. Despite their interest in John Tavares, don’t expect the team to dip heavily in the free agent market this year and more likely depend on their AHL depth to carry them through.

Arbitration| Free Agency| Free Agent Focus 2018| RFA| Tampa Bay Lightning Adam Erne| Andrej Sustr| Cedric Paquette| Chris Kunitz| Erik Condra| Free Agent Focus| Jake Dotchin| Jamie McBain| John Tavares| Matthew Peca| Mikhail Sergachev| Nikita Kucherov| Yanni Gourde

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