This is a big summer for the top NHL free agents in 2017 because, as of now, there are a bunch of household names who become unrestricted free agents after the 2016-17 season ends. Odds are there will be at least one expansion team in play as well, as they will be putting together their roster for their franchise’s inaugural season. Let’s focus on the UFA cream of the crop after next season and how this will be a important summer for those players.
Jamie Benn and Big D
Jamie Benn turns 27 this July and the franchise forward is one year away from being a UFA. Benn is having another terrific season with 41 goals and 88 points. In a league where just about every team is struggling to score, the Dallas Stars cannot let Benn hit the free agent market.
The Stars should learn from all the chatter the Tampa Bay Lightning have had to deal with this season regarding Steven Stamkos. Considering Benn will be in the prime of his career when he becomes a free agent, it’s going to take a max deal (eight years) with a $10 million annual contract price at the bare minimum. Dallas should not fool around this summer and get Benn locked up. I would be surprised if Benn is not signed to an extension by opening night next season.
With 88 points, @jamiebenn14 set a new career-high. His 41 goals and 88 points both rank 2nd in the League. pic.twitter.com/RoYYLcprEn
— NHL (@NHL) April 3, 2016
Tampa Trying to Lasso the Cap
The Lightning are not just in a salary cap crunch, they are in cap hell. No team in the NHL has bigger cap issues than last year’s runner-up. Tampa is at the cap ceiling already and have many key players who become UFAs and RFAs over the next two seasons. After this season everyone in the hockey universe knows Stamkos is a UFA. However, in addition J.T. Brown, Vladislav Namestnikov, Nikita Kucherov, Cedric Paquette and Nikita Nesterov all are RFAs this summer as well. Everyone in this quintet will receive significant increases, as all five of these pending RFAs currently have annually cap numbers under $1 million.
How General Manager Steve Yzerman moves forward with his numerous free agents this year, will be impacted by looking at next years group of UFAs and RFAs as well. Both Victor Hedman and Ben Bishop become UFAs after next season. In addition the Lightning have five more RFAs after next year, highlighted by Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Andrei Vasilevskiy.
So how does Yzerman move forward? Quite simply even if the cap gradually increases both this off-season (expected to go up $2.6 million after the player vote) and next there is no way the Red Wings legend can make all this work while staying under the cap. One might say how about moving either Ryan Callahan ($5.8 million cap hit) or Valtteri Filppula ($5 million cap hit)? Makes sense as both players are in their 30s. The problem there is both players have no movement clauses.
In terms of Tampa’s cap the scary thing is even if Yzerman loses Stamkos via free agency and opens up $7.5 million in cap space (Stamkos cap number this year) the majority of those cap dollars will be going to Hedman following next season. Hedman is signed through next season with a cap number of $4 million. Considering Hedman would hit free agency at age 26 he would match P.K. Subban’s $9 million annual salary in his sleep. Many moves are in store for the Lightning starting this off-season, which could include a trade of their number one net minder Bishop., who has a no movement clause but could waive it to score his big contract this summer as opposed to waiting another year.
Salary-cap fun, which Hawks have dealt with and Lightning will soon enough. RT @AvaHaegele: @TramyersCSN "off the ice"? In what regard?
— Tracey Myers (@Tramyers_NHL) January 21, 2016
Open for Business
In addition to Tampa Bay being open for business this off-season, I see a number of teams working on possible trades this summer regarding some high quality players who become UFAs after next season. The Boston Bruins have Brad Marchand, the Florida Panthers have Dmitri Kulikov, the St. Louis Blues have Kevin Shattenkirk and the Washington Capitals have T.J. Oshie.
The Bruins will be getting some cap relief over the next couple of years due to various contracts. There are a couple of key questions on if Marchand will be in Beantown long-term. Do the Bruins sign Loui Eriksson, who is a UFA this summer, to a long-term extension? If so how does that impact signing Marchand long term? Marchand will be 29 following next season, does Boston feel comfortable signing him to a expensive long term deal when he is about to hit 30? Keep in mind a Marchand extension will be very costly thanks to the career year he is having this season as he has a chance to score 40 goals (currently at 37). If Boston thinks going long term with Marchand is not the right course of action then one has to believe GM Don Sweeney will seriously consider trading the scoring forward this off-season, just like he did with Milan Lucic last summer.
The Panthers have defenseman Kulikov one year away from free agency. Does Florida shop him this summer for scoring help? Keep in mind both Aaron Ekbland and Erik Gudbranson will receive significant raises over the next couple of years. In addition word is the rules for the expansion draft will only allow teams to protect three D-men. Wouldn’t Florida protect Ekbland, Gudbranson and Alex Petrovic first? Finally, two of the Panthers top three prospects who are knocking on the door to the NHL are defenseman. They are Mike Matheson (Florida’s #1 prospect by HockeysFuture.com) and Ian McCoshen.
Finally, Shattenkirk of the Blues and Oshie of the Capitals are in the mix for serious trade discussions this off-season as well. Shattenkirk will be 28 when he becomes a UFA and St. Louis has a lot of core players hitting unrestricted and restricted free agency the next two seasons. In terms of Oshie, there are a couple of reasons why he would be available. Oshie will be 30 after next season and I would be shocked if the Capitals would commit big long-term dollars to him, especially when they have to lock up Evgeny Kuznetsov and Marcus Johansson. When this seasons comes to a close the Capitals will either have won a championship or come up short once again. Oshie could be used as a trade chip either to recoup assets for the long-term or as trade bait to get that missing piece if they fall short. If expansion happens I can see Oshie landing with the new franchise along with a big contract in tow.
Anyway you slice it, the top unrestricted free agents after the 2016-17 season will have a big impact on this summer’s doings in the NHL.
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