Early Free-Agency Predictions for Every NHL Team
We recently looked at the biggest free-agency question that all 32 NHL teams will be facing this offseason.
Now that we know the most difficult decisions, it is time to make some very early predictions on what might happen when the signing period begins.
Our predictions will include both restricted and unrestricted free agents and range from specific players to more subjective areas (like addressing positions of need, being inactive, etc.).
Predictions are separated on a division-by-division basis.
Let's get into it!
Boston Bruins: Re-Sign Bergeron and Krejci or Trade Jeremy Swayman
After re-signing David Pastrnak to a long-term contract extension, the Bruins only have around $10 million in salary-cap space to play with this offseason, and with only 13 players currently on the roster under contract. What will help them here is if they can get Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci to come back for one more year on another set of team-friendly deals. If they can not, and if they have to go outside of the organization to improve center depth (at a higher price), perhaps the Bruins consider trading RFA goalie Jeremy Swayman as he will be due for a massive new deal.
Buffalo Sabres: Address Goaltending
The Sabres have a lot of young talent to build around, but goaltending has been their biggest weakness in the second half of the season. They have their hopeful long-term option in Devon Levi, but they could still use a veteran to complement him if he makes the jump to the NHL next season. The prediction: They bring in a veteran like Alex Stalock, Cam Talbot, Semyon Varlamov, Frederik Andersen or Antti Raanta to be the 1B to Levi's (hopeful) 1A.
Detroit Red Wings: Sign Alex Killorn
The pressure is going to be on general manager Steve Yzerman to get this team into the playoffs, or at least closer than it has been, and that could mean another busy year in the free-agent market. One of Yzerman's former core players in Tampa—Alex Killorn—could be an ideal fit for a team that needs more good players with winning experience. At 33, Killorn is not exactly young by NHL standards, but he can still produce and would bring a lot of to a team like Detroit.
Florida Panthers: Upgrade Defense
Defense and goaltending have been the Panthers' biggest issues this season. Given the contracts they have in goal with Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight, it is difficult to see an easy path toward replacing them, so they should look to strengthen on defense. It is not a particularly deep field of defensive options, but this seems like a good landing spot for somebody like Damon Severson or Vladislav Gavrikov.
Montreal Canadiens: Re-Sign Cole Caufield
The Canadiens are probably not at a point where they are going to be all that active on the free-agent market, but they will lock up young restricted free agent Cole Caufield to a long-term deal that is similar to Nick Suzuki's eight-year, $63 million contract.
Ottawa Senators: Re-Sign Alex DeBrincat
The Senators have done a great job over the past couple of years locking in their young core, and they knew they had one year to convince Alex DeBrincat to stay in Ottawa for the forseeable future. They will follow through on that and lock him into a long-term deal as a restricted free agent that will make him the highest-paid player on the team.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Lose Ross Colton
The Lightning always tend to sign the players they want to keep a year before they have to, and they did not do that with pending restricted free agent Ross Colton. He is one of two major RFAs on the roster, joining trade-deadline addition Tanner Jeannot. Given the price they paid to acquire Jeannot (Cal Foote and five future draft picks, including a first-round pick in 2025), you can be almost certain they intend to keep him. They could elect not to qualify Colton or trade him to avoid a salary-cap crunch.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Bring Back Ilya Samsonov
The Maple Leafs are going to keep goalie Ilya Samsonov on a long-term deal. Goaltending was the big question mark for this team coming into the season, but Samsonov has played surprisingly well (and outperformed Matt Murray) and is probably a better value, in terms of both contract and production, than any potential replacement they could find this offseason. He has worked out well. Reward him.
Carolina Hurricanes: Re-Sign Max Pacioretty
The Hurricanes were hoping that Max Pacioretty was going to be a significant addition to an already talented group of forwards and bring some much-needed finishing ability to the lineup. Then two different injuries knocked him out for all but three games of the season. Unfortunate as the situation is, it presents a perfect opportunity for a bargain "prove-it" deal coming off an injury. Both sides would benefit from that very well.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Upgrade in Net
The Blue Jackets tend to be one of the more unpredictable teams in the league and proved that again last summer by signing the top free agent on the market in Johnny Gaudreau. This summer, they are going to make another big splash by finding a new goalie, which has been the team's biggest weakness this season. Which goalie? How about keeping it in the division with Tristan Jarry.
New Jersey Devils: Sign Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier Long-Term
The Devils have an outstanding team that is going to be just starting to hit its prime come next season, so they do not need to add much. The big play here for the Devils will be getting both restricted free agents Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier signed long-term. Once they do that, any outside additions will be difficult under the salary cap.
New York Islanders: Add Scoring Depth
The Islanders made a huge commitment just before the trade deadline to acquire Bo Horvat and sign him to a long-term deal. It gives them a great running mate for Mathew Barzal. But they still need more offense to balance out their lineup, and they might have some salary-cap flexibility to make that happen. Tomas Tatar of the Devils would be a good fit as a possession-driving forward who tends to make his team better when he is on the ice and scores at a strong top-six rate.
New York Rangers: Will Face Offer-Sheet Decision on at Least 1 RFA
Let's get wild here! The Rangers have three significant restricted free agents this offseason with Filip Chytil, Alexis Lafreniere and K'Andre Miller all set for raises. They only have approximately $16 million in salary-cap space with only 13 current-roster players under contract. We do not see offer sheets very often in the NHL, but somebody will make a run at one of these guys given the Rangers' situation.
Philadelphia Flyers: Short-term Contracts Galore
The Flyers will have a new general manager coming in to jumpstart their rebuild. They are in the rough situation of having a bad team that is also swimming in bad contracts. Add all of that up and do you know what you get? Short-term stopgap free agents who can be signed and then flipped at the trade deadline. Get ready for a summer of that, Flyer fans.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Allow Tristan Jarry to Walk, Keep Jason Zucker
The Penguins can not possibly bring back the same goalie duo that has failed them for three years running now, so they should let Tristan Jarry go to free agency and look elsewhere for goalie help. They remain committed to trying to win with this core, though, and Jason Zucker has been one of their most consistent and best forwards since returning to health. They can not afford to lose him if making the Stanley Cup Playoffs is still the goal, as it should be.
Washington Capitals: Sign Evan Rodrigues
Even though the Capitals sold off some players at the trade deadline, they are not going to throw in the towel as long as they have Alex Ovechkin on their roster and playing at a high level. They were very successful in terms of free-agent signings this past offseason, and their front office tends to find good value. One such add could be the Colorado Avalanche's Evan Rodrigues. He brings solid depth scoring, good defense and the flexibility to play at center and on the wing.
Arizona Coyotes: Lack of Spending Continues
This is probably more of a general offseason preview than a free-agency preview, but the Coyotes are not really in a position to sign any key free agents given the ongoing state of their perpetual rebuild. They're more likely to serve as a dumping ground for another undesirable contract elsewhere in the league.
Chicago Blackhawks: Add a Veteran Goalie
The Blackhawks spent this past year doing Step 1 of their rebuild: Tear everything down and get rid of everybody that has even an ounce of value. The hope is that it gets them in a position to maybe draft super-prospect Connor Bedard. Now comes the hard part: building everything back up, hopefully around Bedard. The Blackhawks are not in a position to be major players in free agency, but they could use a goalie to at least give them a chance, such as Semyon Varlamov or Frederik Andersen.
Colorado Avalanche: Sign Jordan Staal
Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal would be a near-perfect Colorado Avalanche signing, albeit with some concerns over whether his speed makes him an ideal fit. That potential issue aside, though, Staal appears ready to call time on his career in Carolina, and he is a relentless two-way player, a monster on the forecheck and would provide the Avs with some additional center depth.
Dallas Stars: Evgeni Dadonov Stays
The Stars are set with their top-tier players but need to continue to build depth around them. The free-agent market is thin, but they might have one of the best options for what they need already on the roster in pending UFA Evgeni Dadonov. He has been a great fit so far since going to Dallas in a deadline deal with the Montreal Canadiens, and the Stars have not been afraid to re-sign veteran players in their 30s.
Minnesota Wild: Retain Key RFAs
The Wild have a massive salary-cap crunch thanks to the buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, and it is going to force general manager Bill Guerin to be creative in building his roster. Minnesota's big free-agency moves will be committing to two of its most important young players: defenseman Calen Addison and goalie Filip Gustavsson, who has been one of the best goalies in the league this season and looks to be their goalie of the future.
Nashville Predators: Take a Run at a Prime RFA
The Predators are in a weird situation. They have a new general manager coming in for the first time in franchise history (Barry Trotz replacing David Poile), they shed a bunch of salary before the trade deadline, and they are loaded with draft capital over the next three years. They have salary-cap space, draft picks to burn and are in a retool phase. If offer sheets were ever to become a thing, this is the team that should do it.
St. Louis Blues: Add Goaltending Competition
The Blues traded their big pending UFAs in Ryan O'Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko and still do not have a ton of salary-cap space to work with. It is not really a full rebuild, but they still need a lot of help. One area they need to focus on is finding a goalie to push Jordan Binnington for playing time and perhaps even push him out of town. Maybe somebody like a Joonas Korpisalo.
Winnipeg Jets: Trade Pierre-Luc Dubois
The prediction here is that Pierre-Luc Dubois becomes this year's Matthew Tkachuk. A restricted free agent who could be a year away from unrestricted free agency while the two sides are unable to agree on a long-term deal. That paves the way for a trade. Dubois wants to play in Montreal, while a top-line-caliber power forward still in his prime would be a great fit for the Canadiens' need down the middle.
Anaheim Ducks: Sign Key RFAs Long-Term
The offseason will be a win for the Ducks when they can get restricted free agents Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry signed to long-term deals. They are two of the most important long-term building blocks here and will be the focus for this offseason.
Calgary Flames: Add Scoring Depth
The Flames have been one of the biggest disappointments this season, but they do still seem capable of bouncing back if they can get Jonathan Huberdeau and Jacob Markström on track. They could use additional scoring depth, though, with James van Riemsdyk a decent example of the type of player they could look to add.
Edmonton Oilers: Sign Ryan O'Reilly
The Oilers need to be doing everything they can to keep Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl happy. They have a handful of depth players on expiring contracts and will need to replace them. Assuming Toronto don't find a way to keep him, Ryan O'Reilly will be your new third-line center.
Los Angeles Kings: Sign Alex Stalock
The Kings have arrived as legitimate Western Conference contenders and have made big moves in each of the past two offseasons to add to their roster. Their biggest need this year is going to be in goal, but the answer to that need likely needs to be affordable. Alex Stalock has been very good this season in a bad situation with Chicago. What could he do behind an actual good team?
San Jose Sharks: Sign Tradeable Assets
The Sharks are another team in rebuild mode, which means the best free-agency approach is to sign stopgap players who can be flipped at the trade deadline. Players like Max Domi fit that mold. It will probably be a boring offseason in San Jose outside of potentially more trades to subtract from the roster.
Seattle Kraken: Re-Sign Vince Dunn, Sign Vladimir Tarasenko
The Seattle Kraken had a chance to take Vladimir Tarasenko in their expansion draft but instead selected Vince Dunn from the St. Louis Blues. It has turned out to be a fine decision as the Kraken have quickly built a playoff-caliber roster while Dunn has become one of their top defensemen. Dunn will get a big raise as a restricted free agent this summer, but Tarasenko might actually be a fit as a free-agent signing to further boost the Kraken offense.
Vancouver Canucks: Continue Reckless Spending
Every year the Vancouver Canucks seem to operate like a team that thinks it is closer to competing than it is, either signing or trading for a player who does not fit with where the team actually is, usually on a regrettable contract. That makes them a perfect landing spot for Toronto's Michael Bunting. A good player who will probably get overpaid in a thin free-agent market and will not meaningfully move the needle for the Canucks. This is the perfect match.
Vegas Golden Knights: Add Patrick Kane
The Vegas Golden Knights love names they can put in lights. It does not matter how old they are, where they played before or what they might cost. This has Patrick Kane written all over it. Vegas gets a potential big-time scorer and another big name, while Kane gets a chance to chase another Stanley Cup.
