A week ago, I published this piece ranking the best remaining NHL unrestricted free agents at every position. As of today (July 10), all but one player (Chris Kelly) remains unsigned.
Jiri Hudler is among several notable player still available in the unrestricted free agent pool.
It’s not surprising. With the best players snapped up on the opening day (July 1) of the free-agent market, the depth of talent plunged rapidly toward the bottom of the barrel. Very few notable names remain.
Those players either saw their stock plummet last season (hello there, Jiri Hudler), set too high a price on their services (Kris Russel supposedly seeking upward of $6 million annually), are once-great talents on their last legs (Brad Richards) or remain unproven performers (Brandon Pirri).
With most of the teams having already made their investments in the free-agent market, few destinations left for those players on my list. The leverage now shifts toward the general managers. Those remaining free-agent notables will end up accepting much less than they expected to receive when free agency began.
Some of them could even end up competing for jobs on training-camp tryouts in September. For a few, this could spell the end of their NHL careers.
Speaking of free agency, it doesn’t appear any of this summer’s top restricted free agent will be getting an offer sheet.
Granted, it’s still early in the summer. Plenty of time for a desperate general manager seeking an immediate substantial boost to his roster to make a big pitch for another team’s top restricted free agent.
However, it’s been nine years since a restricted free agent was successfully signed away by an offer sheet. That was in 2007, when the Edmonton Oilers inked Anaheim Ducks left wing Dustin Penner, sending then-Ducks GM Brian Burke into a fit of rage with visions of a barn fight with then-Oilers GM Kevin Lowe dancing in his head.
Since then, offer sheets have become rare. The last was in 2013 following the NHL lockout, when the Calgary Flames unsuccessfully attempted to sign away forward Ryan O’Reilly from the Colorado Avalanche.
For those GMs contemplating the offer sheet route, a number of tempting targets are available. The noteworthy include Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, Calgary Flames center Sean Monahan and Winnipeg Jets blueline Jacob Trouba.
However, it’s unlikely any of them will be get one. One reason is likely most of those players aren’t willing to entertain offers from rival clubs. Another is the unspoken rule among the GMs not to target each other’s RFAs.
With Steven Stamkos re-signing with the Tampa Bay Lightning, those Toronto Maple Leafs fans who pined for Stamkos to “come home” are shifting their sights toward another Toronto-area boy.
The target of their new affection is New York Islanders center and captain John Tavares, the pride of Mississauga, Ontario. Tavares isn’t eligible for unrestricted free agency until 2018, but some Leafs fans aren’t wasting time envisioning him in the hometown colours.
This isn’t the first time some denizens of Leafs Nation dreamed of Tavares donning a Leafs jersey. Prior to the 2009 NHL Draft, where he was the first-overall pick, there was unsubstantiated speculation he would spurn whoever selected him and force a trade to the Leafs. Before he re-signed with the Isles in 2011, there was baseless chatter regarding his supposed unhappiness with the Isles and his desire to play in Toronto.
So, it shouldn’t be surprising the “Tavares to Toronto” rumor mill is being dusted off and fired up. The longer he goes past July 1, 2017 without a new deal with the Isles, the louder the musings of his joining the Leafs on July 1, 2018.
For the record, Isles GM Garth Snow recently said he intends to open contract talks with Tavares next summer.
Of the 24 players headed to salary arbitration, I expect all but Colorado’s Tyson Barrie and Ottawa’s Mike Hoffman will avoid that process.
The Avalanche front office reportedly doesn’t consider Barrie a top puck-moving defenseman, despite his combined 102 points in the last two seasons. While Hoffman led the Senators in goals in each of the last two seasons, management seems to have issues with his streaky production.
Perhaps both players will avoid salary arbitration, but given the doubts of their respective managements, I can see them ending up with arbiter-awarded contracts. And if that happens, the countdown begins on their departure via unrestricted free agency when those contracts are expired.
Arbitration is an ego-bruising process for the player, having to sit there and listen to management downplay your accomplishments in the name of getting a cheaper contract. It leaves them feeling unappreciated and rethinking their future.
“For the record, Isles GM Garth Snow recently said he intends to open contract talks with Tavares next summer.”
for clarity—teams can not negotiate extensions until the final contract year kicks in on July 1st.
“Perhaps both players will avoid salary arbitration, but given the doubts of their respective managements, I can see them ending up with arbiter-awarded contracts. And if that happens, the countdown begins on their departure via unrestricted free agency when those contracts are expired.”
teams can ealk away from contract values of $3.5M per (2012/13 dollars) That amount adjusts as salary cap and avg salary increased. For 15/16 the amount would be somewhere above $4M
“Those deals will likely take place in the run-up to the Feb. 28 trade deadline. After that, the trade activity could pick up in the days leading up to the expansion draft next June.”
Still think something will happen in Anaheim likely moving Fowler in the next few weeks.
Aanheim currently has just 10 forwards on the roster signed for next season with 2 ELC ending RFAs (Rakell, Noesen). They havent made moves to acquire 1-2 players to fill out that roster. I think a trade is being done that will fill out that roster. trading Fowleras part of a deal for one or two forwards. I think the sticking points are they are wanting an untouchable player on the other team or they are attaching a cap dump in Stoner onto the deal.
Another reason for not many trades right now is that many teams are conducting prospect summer camps this past week and this upcoming week.
After those are done I see stuff happening.
In 2 yrs. Tavaras won`t be an issue in Toronto. The only people who keep bringing up Tavaras now are the trollers like Gary and bigbear. With Matthews, Marner and the rest of the kids, the forward position won`t be T.O.`s weakness. Defence and goaltending will be far more of a pressing need for Toronto over the next 2 or 3 yrs. Besides with Matthews and co., Toronto will have their own cap issues to deal with, never mind worrying about Tavaras. Be thankful Stamkos stayed in Tampa, even at 9.5 mill, it would`ve been a problem in 2 yrs.
Torontos big problem in two years is realizing the drafted first overall a kid that needs work on his skating, played his Jr age years in Europe on a big ice surface against inferior and softer players. Hows he going to manage on the smaller ice surface against men that are far more aggresive, physical and stronger?
Good luck with that Toronto….lol
@Ron a little early in the day to be trolling isn`t it.
Haha he played one season internationally in a men’s league.
Yeah sure. Good luck with that. I have some swamp land in Florida if your interested. Give you a great price & even throw in the pets for free.
There has already been 22 trades consummated since June 13th, the 1st, Florida moving Savard’s contract to free up cap space for the UFA market opening, being the kick off. We have seen, Bickell moved; we all thought that was a buy out for the most part, cost was significant; Teravainen, Hall, Weber, Subban, Andersen, Elliott, etc & we still have 3 months till the season starts. I think it’s been everything advertised but now that the UFA frenzy has passed we move into the dog days or summer. No rush for anyone to do something today.
I’m not sure what the final #’s were for players signed in this UFA market & the cash expended but I believe the last time I saw TSN report the #’s it was 1 of the highest ever & there were several shocking surprises. Not the least of which was Lucic to Edm. Then you have the Stamkos resigning before July 1st at 8.5 mil per for 8 years coupled with Goligoski & Yandle’s rights being acquired by Arz & Flo respectively & signed almost immediately. The cost actually paid to get their negotiating rights being nothing.
Then we have had 2 significant of RFA signings to big money long term deals, Scheifele & McKinnon coupled with a few surprising mid tier deals, Perreault & Palmieri. Add in Yzerman locking up Hedman with out hesitation for 8 years at another great cap hit & these deals with the most exciting 30 mins of off season news we have ever experienced, the Hall, Weber, Subban & Stamkos deals & it’s been & will continue to be all that was advertised & expected.
Yes some teams will hang on to assets until the last minute even right into the expansion draft & try negotiate with Las Vegas to retain. As cup contenders there is a fine line to walk between pre & post expansion but winning the cup is still almost every teams goal today but if you feel it wasn’t everything to be advertised I’m not sure what your expectations were? Mine were met fully. More than expected to be honest & when the dust settles before Oct 12th it will easily go down as the most exciting off season ever. It already is & were less than a month in.
FYI, there were as many notable trades last year between June 25 and July 1. It’s keeping with the usual pattern for the offseason. Notable moves leading up to or including the July 1 start of free agency, then the trade activity drops off substantially.
Yes there were. Just not a Subban, Weber or Hall in the bunch. The 1’s we saw were mostly expected, Saad, Hamilton & Lucic. I can say that O’Reilly being moved by Colorado shocked me, I’m clueless as to what Colorado is doing.
These 3 players; Suban, Weber & Hall moving were shocking. I consider all to be cornerstones, franchise building blocks. All were floating around the rumor mill but I never fathomed we would see Subban & Weber swapped for each other. That almost makes it the most interesting off season ever, never mind Hall.
For me it’s been a great summer of player activity, not just in trades but we had 1 of the deepest UFA markets ever potentially before Yandle, Goligoski & Stamkos were plucked off the board before July 1st.
Both trades involving the elite players (Hall, Weber and Subban) resulted in most pundits questioning one general manager’s sanity. Personally, I think Habs ownership should have fired Bergevin before he traded Subban. Lucky for the Habs that the cap recapture penalty will hit Nashville and not them. The enormous second contracts that have been handed out virtually guarantee that the 2022 lockout will happen. If it is I hope this is the one where the PA flips the ?? at the owners and goes after the salary cap. In case anyone wants to know who should be blamed for it remember the score: Owners lockouts 3, player strikes 1.