Speculation: Predicting where the top 50 free agents land

[Richard88]

St. Louis, Winnipeg, and Toronto get mentioned a lot as good destinations for Pietrangelo, but I think Colorado or Anaheim could be really good fits as well.

Colorado are a contender and have the capspace to make it happen, and Denver is a nice city in a low income tax state. The D group below would certainly make Colorado a strong favourite for the cup.

Girard --- Pietrangelo
Graves ---- Makar
Byram ---- Johnson
Cole

Anaheim aren't contending right now, but if you add Pietrangelo to a team that already includes Gibson, Lindholm, Fowler, and Manson at the back, and a group of young forwards (Zegras/No.6 pick/Jones/Comtois/etc) supporting a veteran core of Getzlaf/Rakell/Silfverberg/Henrique they could turn it around faster than most expect.

 

[Vitto79]

Detroit should spend but not on older guys so something like Lehner over Holtby

 

[Vitto79]

I doubt Edmundson or Holtby comes to Carolina. Carolina is a big stat organization and both aren’t statistical good.

Canes may stand pat or may go crazy.

If we don’t trade for a righty to play with Staal, Craig Smith would be the most realistic.

You may be right but on paper adding Holtby makes them a real contender now no ?

They didn’t sign Lehner last year so I doubt him .... Mrazek and Reiner is just too meh IMO

 

[Richard88]

Pietrangelo - STL / WIN / TOR / COL / ANA

Hall - ARI / COL

Krug -- BOS / DET

Markström - VAN

Byfuglien -- retires

Lehner --- CAR / CGY / BUF / OTT / CHI

Hoffman --- FLA / DAL / NSH / CBJ / EDM

Dadonov - FLA

Toffoli -- LA / VAN

Barrie --- WIN / ANA / CGY

Haula --- BUF / FLA / CBJ / DET / WIN

 

[Qwijibo]

I could see Pietrangelo signing in Toronto, but it won't be a short-term deal. Something like $9m x 7 years would be workable. And if they do that I'd expect Colorado to be one of the front-runners for Nylander as they have the capspace and futures to make it work.

Interesting thoughts on Hall regarding NJ and Arizona working together. Certainly does make sense from NJ's perspective to help Arizona keep Hall. A player like Goligoski or Demers could also be useful for them in the short term.

Toronto has $4.6m in cap space for next season with only 16 players signed. Explain to me how they’re signing Pietrangelo to a $9m contract.

 

[Richard88]

Toronto has $4.6m in cap space for next season with only 16 players signed. Explain to me how they’re signing Pietrangelo to a $9m contract.

Trade Nylander, Dermott, and Johnsson for futures (or players on ELC's), and roll with the roster below.

 

[Hunter368]

As a Jets fan I'll say very high probability of signing DeMelo. Small chance of also signing Dillion.

No one else on the list is going to be signed by the Jets, either they aren't going to help the Jets or too big cap hit or lack of interest by the Jets due to poor fit.

 

[bobholly39]

I think Pietrangelo will 100% depend on playoff outcome. The fact that they just won the cup is such a huge component here.

If they win again - does he leave the potential of a dynasty forming? (sounds ridiculous to call them a dynasty, but 2 cups in a row is a conversation starter).
Or - maybe opposite. Maybe if he wins again he's fulfilled as a winner and goes for max$$ elsewhere. Maybe in a warm climate, less pressure, etc.
Or maybe they lose in a bad way, and he's motivated to return to STL to win again. Or maybe losing in a bad way urges him to leave faster.

I have no idea. I typically have a good sense of where i expect top UFA's to end up - but I think so much of his decision is tied to the Blue's playoffs this year, it's hard to say.

I do think it's more likely he resigns with St Louis than not.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

You may be right but on paper adding Holtby makes them a real contender now no ?

They didn’t sign Lehner last year so I doubt him .... Mrazek and Reiner is just too meh IMO

Holtby isn’t an improvement when looking at his current and trending numbers.

I think there are a couple of mistakes made by the management team this offseason. They would definitely like a redo on the Mrazek over Lehner decision and signing Gardiner at all.

 

[Habs10025]

For bleeps and giggles
AP STL
Hall - CGY
Krug - BOS
Markstrom - VAN
Byfuglien - HE GONE
Lehner - CHI
Hoffman - MON
Dadonov - FLA
Toffoli - VAN
Barrie - If Toffoli goes elsewhere VAN makes sense. in this case I'll go NJD
Haula - BUF
Holtby - DET
Brodie - TML
Vatanen -NJD

Montreal aren't using cap space they have on a winger .

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Hall and Byfuglien will likely be Colorado’s targets.

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

Detroit should spend but not on older guys so something like Lehner over Holtby

Yeah if Detroit spends it will be on Goaltending, Or possiblyKrug should he decide to come home if he can't reach a deal in Boston which i think he does.

 

[Flames Fanatic]

TJ Brodie to DET, $4.79*4yrs.

If Brodie is willing to take that deal I'd be disappointed if the Flames don't re-sign him. That's less actual cash than he's making now ($4.83)

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Toronto has $4.6m in cap space for next season with only 16 players signed. Explain to me how they’re signing Pietrangelo to a $9m contract.

Am I the only person out there who thinks Mitch Marner has to go? Their offense would still be dominant without him and he frees up 11 million dollars. Even if you just get a 1st rounder and a prospect back that’s a huge win for the Leafs if it means giving that money to Pietrangelo. Obviously there won’t be many buyers since nobody can really take on his contract but you’d have to think a team like LA who has a combined 7 1st/2nd round picks over the next two drafts and a loaded prospect pool could but a package together for him.

 

[ToDavid]

Trade Nylander, Dermott, and Johnsson for futures (or players on ELC's), and roll with the roster below.

View attachment 352144

Moving a 24 year old to sign a 31 year old UFA is just asking for trouble. If Nylander is traded it should be for a similar aged defenseman.

I honestly don't see anything too drastic from the Leafs this summer. Probably move Johnsson for some flexibility. We've got a lot of question marks on D that need to be answered:

How does Dermott handle a permanent role in the top 4?
Do Sandin/Liljegren take another step forward?
Where does Lehtonen fit in?

Plus if we hold off until next summer, we can take a swing at likely Leafs pajama wearer Dougie Hamilton (who will be 3 years younger going into the 21-22 season than Pietrangelo will be going into next season).

 

[Kranix]

Am I the only person out there who thinks Mitch Marner has to go? Their offense would still be dominant without him and he frees up 11 million dollars. Even if you just get a 1st rounder and a prospect back that’s a huge win for the Leafs if it means giving that money to Pietrangelo. Obviously there won’t be many buyers since nobody can really take on his contract but you’d have to think a team like LA who has a combined 7 1st/2nd round picks over the next two drafts and a loaded prospect pool could but a package together for him.

If I was Duboy Genius and I had get rid of one of the big three, it would be Tavares. Marner's more important and better.
And also we can and we will so it's moot.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

If I was Duboy Genius and I had get rid of one of the big three, it would be Tavares. Marner's more important and better.
And also we can and we will so it's moot.

Oh absolutely. From a straight up hockey perspective it’s easy to see Tavares will be the anchor that really kills that team down the road. However there’s more to it than that. They aren’t trading him 2 years after giving him that contract and less than a year after naming him captain. JT is Leaf for the rest of his career.

 

[McJedi]

If Sakic wanted these UFA's he woumd have gone for them at the TDL. Avs have a lot of major contracts coming up in the next 3 years. Signing Hoffman or something to a 6 year deal hurts them more than it helps. As for Buffalo, they are desperate for improvement so why wpuldnt they be i o certain players

So the Avs are just going to play 2020-2021 with $8-11Mm in unused cap space. Just let it sit there and go to waste with a contending roster in a cap strapped year? I find that so highly unlikely that the single best team in the nhl with significant cap space sits out UFA and doesn’t use their cap space because they’ll need to pay guys years from today.

your agent calls you and says, “I’ve heard from Jersey, Buffalo and Colorado. They’d all like you to fly in for a sit down.” So the player is thinking. I can go to high tax Jersey or Buffalo. Play on a lousy team in lousy weather. Lose a lot of games and my wife will leave me. (I’m kidding). Or I can go play on one of the best rosters in the nhl, maybe win a Cup, pay less state income tax and live in a city with great weather and awesome natural beauty.

I’m guessing the Avs get the first at bat with more than their fair share of UFAs this off season.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

So the Avs are just going to play 2020-2021 with $8-11Mm in unused cap space. Just let it sit there and go to waste with a contending roster in a cap strapped year? I find that so highly unlikely that the single best team in the nhl with significant cap space sits out UFA and doesn’t use their cap space because they’ll need to pay guys years from today.

your agent calls you and says, “I’ve heard from Jersey, Buffalo and Colorado. They’d all like you to fly in for a sit down.” So the player is thinking. I can go to high tax Jersey or Buffalo. Play on a lousy team in lousy weather. Lose a lot of games and my wife will leave me. (I’m kidding). Or I can go play on one of the best rosters in the nhl, maybe win a Cup, pay less state income tax and live in a city with great weather and awesome natural beauty.

I’m guessing the Avs get the first at bat with more than their fair share of UFAs this off season.

Yup. Just a year ago Sakic offered Panarin north of 11M. With a flat cap and all his competition being cap strapped, people are crazy to think Sakic isn’t going to chase Taylor Hall on some type of bargain deal.

I think Sakic kicks tires on Byfuglien too. Who knows if he’s going to play hockey again but if he’s looking to play you have to think it would be a great fit. Just a perfect partner to shelter Byram into the league while filling a large physical/intimidation gap that will be left by the likely departure of Zadorov.

 

[Dr Quincy]

While unfortunately we aren't talking about all of the incoming news we're used to hearing on July 1st, we can still talk about this year's class. Since we know there will be a flat cap, predict the contracts and destinations of TSN's top 50 free agent list.

Ooops, nevermind, misunderstood.

 

[Tasteless Beaver]

Byfuglien is going fishing, anyone who says otherwise is nuts.

I doubt Winnipeg takes on Pietrangelo - I bet he stays in STL somehow. I do see Winnipeg convincing DeMelo to stay, and giving Hamonic a cheap contract. Chevy has always loved Brassard, so it's possible there is a deal to be made there, I'd probably prefer him over Eakin anyway. Other than that, maybe a backup goalie and some meh depth. We are usually really quiet in UFA season.

 

[GoSenatorsGo]

Just a thought, do you think with the current COVID pandemic, this will influence players to go to areas where there may be less cases? I know Ottawa has very few confirmed active cases right now, would that maybe influence a player with a family to go there?

 

[majormajor]

Total guesswork.

Pietrangelo - Chicago --- treason right? I think Chicago will make room, they need him.
Hall - Calgary --- Great fit there, best corps of forwards Hall has ever had to work with.
Krug - Detroit --- I don't know if he's keen to play on that team, but they need him and would pay him the most.
Markstrom - Vancouver --- Obvious fit.
Lehner - San Jose --- San Jose needs Lehner badly. They'll make room.
Hoffman - Arizona --- They'll have the $ and the vacancy if the bid for Hall fails.
Dadonov - Florida --- He'll be cheaper so Florida will keep him.
Toffoli - Vancouver --- Toffoli was having a blast there, I think he'll give a little discount to stay.
Barrie - Anaheim --- Vancouver can't fit anymore guys and Barrie is less of a need. Anaheim will have the $ and RHD vacancy.

 

[FanTheFlames]

TJ Brodie to DET, $4.79*4yrs.

Lehner to VGK.

I can see both Brodie grew up a Redwings fan but he would probably want a pay raise because he would be carrying a huge load on the Redwings Blue line maybe 5.25 x 5 type of deal

 

[57special]

I could see Haula being the answer to a lot of teams who need quality depth at C. His price will held down because of his injury history, but he's the sort of player that is very easy to find a spot for. I'd rather have him than Galchenyuk in MN, even though he is older by a fair bit.

I can't see Pietrangelo leaving STL, but that idiot Faulk signing has certainly put them in a tough spot. Maybe they are hoping they can fob him off to Seattle?

Speaking of Galchenyuk, does anyone in the league think that he is actually a talent at this point? I just can't see anyone ponying up much for him, after seeing PIT include him as a cap dump in the zucker trade.