NHL Rumor Mill – August 10, 2024
An early look at next summer’s top potential unrestricted free agents in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl topped Carol Schram’s recent list of next summer’s top potential NHL unrestricted free agents. She considered it inevitable that they would re-sign with their respective clubs
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Since Schram’s list was published on Aug. 1, Crosby and the Penguins are reportedly close to an agreement on a contract extension. Meanwhile, talks between Draisaitl and the Oilers are in the preliminary stage but look positive thus far.
Turning to the 2024 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, Aaron Ekblad, Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett could face uncertain futures. Verhaeghe and Bennett could price themselves out of Florida. Schram wouldn’t be surprised if the 29-year-old Ekblad is traded this season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some observers speculate Ekblad might re-sign with the Panthers if his value in the UFA market is lower than expected. Others think he could be moved while Verhaeghe and Bennett are re-signed.
Turning to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the cone of silence has dropped on Mitch Marner. “Extend? Get traded? Leave in free agency? All three options still seem like very real possibilities,” writes Schram. She also considers it “highly possible” that Leafs captain John Tavares moves on next summer.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marner’s no-movement clause ensures he’ll finish this season with the Leafs unless he changes his mind about a trade. Signing an extension or departing next July as a UFA seems the more likely. As for Tavares, some observers suggested that they might keep him if he’s willing to accept a big pay cut on a short-term deal.
Schram believes the Colorado Avalanche intends to re-sign winger Mikko Rantanen but must determine what the future holds for sidelined captain Gabriel Landeskog and suspended winger Valeri Nichushkin.
Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser finally realized his potential last season with a 40-goal campaign. However, he could be headed to a change of scenery if he seeks more than the Canucks are willing to pay.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche will find a way to sign Rantanen and keep their Stanley Cup window open. It will become easier if Landeskog and his $7 million annual cap hit remain on long-term injury reserve. Meanwhile, Boeser’s situation will be interesting to monitor. Another 40-goal campaign could price him out of Vancouver’s market. Then again, it seemed almost certain he was going to be traded two years ago and the Canucks held onto him.
Jamie Benn’s days of averaging $9.5 million annually are ending. However, the Dallas Stars could hang onto their 35-year-old captain with a series of one-year, bonus-laden contracts.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Benn likely wants to stay in Dallas and lead the Stars to the Stanley Cup. They’ll want to keep him around.
Schram also noted there’s a decent crop of UFA defensemen. They included Ryan Lindgren of the New York Rangers, Jake McCabe of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Jakob Chychrun of the Washington Capitals, Neal Pionk of the Winnipeg Jets, Shea Theodore of the Vegas Golden Knights, Vladislav Gavrikov of the Los Angeles Kings, and Ivan Provorov of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ekblad is the most notable name among next summer’s top UFAs but it’s clear that next summer’s UFA market is much deeper in big-name forwards. Schram expects some will be re-signed before July 1 and some retained by their teams as “own-rentals” for the 2025 playoffs.
The most likely to be moved could be Chychrun, Gavrikov, and Provorov if their respective teams are out of playoff contention by the March trade deadline.
Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers tops Schram’s list of the notable UFA goaltenders. He’s likely to be re-signed but could be seeking a record-breaking salary for a netminder.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s assumed Shesterkin could get around $12.5 million annually. If the Rangers won’t pay it, another club will happily do so via free agency. I’ll be shocked if he ends up signing elsewhere on July 1.
Linus Ullmark could set himself up for a big payday if he replicates his 2023 Vezina Trophy form with the Ottawa Senators.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: What Ullmark does in that scenario will be interesting to observe. Will he stay with the Senators if they meet his asking price? Does he spurn them regardless and hit the open market? Most will assume the latter but you never know.
Joey Daccord of the Seattle Kraken rose to prominence after all but stealing the starter’s job from Philipp Grubauer. Schram wondered if the Kraken could tempt him to stay.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Daccord carries a $1.2 million cap hit. A decent raise on a four or five-year contract and the opportunity to be the Kraken’s starting goalie could be all the enticement he’d need.
I have to believe Ullmark is only in Ottawa for a year! Their group is heavy with top level forwards and very thin on the blue line! I m sure he is renting and didn t buy any real estate yet! The one lifeline he may have in Ottawa is a relationship with Alfredsson!
With Pavelski retiring, Jamie Benn is the life-blood of team. At one point, he was considered one of the Top 10 forwards in the NHL (I remember Sid, saying that if he were going to start a team, he start with Jamie….Benn is now a 3rd line center on a deep team with a lot kids that will need to get paid. If the Stars are going to win in the future, Benn needs to take a 3 million dollar contract and play year to year.
Sr, if that frame of mind becomes obvious as the season progresses, and they are nowhere near playoff contention at next season’s trade deadline, it’s a given that he will be dealt for the best return possible – that being predicated upon his personal performance to that point.
And if, as Habfan30 postulates in the other thread, he has shown he is incapable of performing with any consistency a la Jack Campbell when given the lion’s share of the load, he won’t be looking at any big contract anywhere.
Sam Bennett is more than welcome in Leafland ..
Ideal type of player – Leafs require , skill and grit , leadership !
The chances of Bennett being available realistically are more than likely slim
Leafs will have an abundant cap space next years July 1st free agency
“ She also considers it “highly possible” that Leafs captain John Tavares moves on next summer.”
“As for Tavares, some observers suggested that they might keep him if he’s willing to accept a big pay cut on a short-term deal.”
I’m fairly sure, that it is obvious to everyone including Tavares that his next contract will be short term and include a huge pay cut from his current $11 million dollars per year.
I don’t think any hockey fan needs some pundit or Insider to tell them this.
Casual hockey fans would need that explained to them, Allan. Not every hockey fan is as fanatical as yourself.
A lot of people here seems to think Ullmark will stink in Ottawa because of the low quality Defence. Now he might not put up the numbers he has done in Boston, but he is better now than he was in Buffalo and his numbers there were better than average. I think he will be just fine, and as long as Ottawa plays well, compete for the playoffs, I expect him to resign.
Problem in BUF is that the team pretty much stunk around him.
Marner is going to have a great season with the Leafs, making resigning him nearly impossible. Walk for nothing, most likely run.
If you watch the highlight reel on Toronto last year. and focus on Matthews and Nylander goals, you very quickly begin to realize how much the team shooters rely on Marner to get many of their goals.
I suspect we see Matthews and Marner each add about 25 points this season.
And Marner is resigned to an 8 year deal