For most teams, the season has been long over, but for two teams, it just ended. That means the off-season is gearing up for the crazy ride it usually is. Contracts, trades, offer sheets, you name it. All is fair in hockey and the off-season, which includes the rumours that come with all the potential moves. Today we will discuss Ondrej Palat as he tests the free agent market.
Ondrej Palat to Test Free Agent Market
Obviously things could still change but after discussions this week here in Montreal between both sides, appears pending UFA Ondrej Palat is headed to market.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) July 9, 2022
After the heartbreaking loss to the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Final that prevented Tampa Bay from having a three-peat, the Lightning have found themselves in a predicament. They are already roughly one million dollars over the salary cap; even with the recent trade of Ryan McDonagh. Despite being over the cap, they still have some free agents they would like to keep.
Julien BriseBois told reporters in Tampa that he wanted to try and keep Palat, but it would require either “cap wizardry or extreme generosity from the player.” Ondrej Palat five-year, five million dollars AAV contract just ended. The veteran forward has been with Tampa Bay for ten seasons now. And though he is 31, his game has shown no signs of aging. This past season he scored 18 goals and recorded 49 points. Any new contract in the future can be expected to be around what he previously had, if not more.
What He Brings to the Table
Not only is he a solid top-six forward, but he also knows how to score timely goals. Palat had recorded 30 game-winning goals over his career. But his ability to show up in big moments doesn’t stop there. This past post-season he scored 11 goals and recorded 21 points in 23 games. He has scored 48 goals and recorded 94 points in 138 playoff games throughout his career. He is a reliable player, two-way player. Additionally, his veteran presence on and off the ice has an impact that clubs need to be successful.
One could assume that Palat would want to stay with the organization he has spent his whole career. And where he has had a lot of success in recent years, but the numbers matter. The numbers have to be shed somewhere, so does it come from the front office via other players or does it come from Palat? There would be a line of teams looking to add someone like him to their roster. And probably willing to pay what he is worth, too. Testing the free market would allow him to find a team that would pay him without asking him to take a discount.
It was a PACKED house for Ondrej Palat’s day with the Cup.
(📸 @TBLightning) pic.twitter.com/SgP3hM8MW3
— NHL (@NHL) September 8, 2021
