Speculation: Predicting where the top 50 free agents land

[Cogburn]

While I LOVE that Vancouver is in the front of some of your minds, with out being overtly ripped on anyway, we don't want or need Barrie.

We will be trying like mad to sign Markstrom, Toffoli and Tanev though, you're all right there.

Call me a buzzkill though, but I actually think most of the top end of that list will remain with their current teams for a shorter term, more team friendly contract, given the situation we find ourselves in.

 

[Jared Dunn]

Vancouver is gonna pay to move a horrendous contract just to give one to Barrie aren't they

 

[Kaibur]

I'm really curious what kind of 7 year contract Calgary can offer Hall that will beat the 8 year offer from Arizona?

Leaving that 8th year on the table is no sure bet, especially as the league has gotten younger and faster.

 

[Jared Dunn]

If Lehner goes to Carolina they could be pretty scary next year

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

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.

Really hoping they could sign Lehner to a reasonable contract. A goalie of his caliber would be an instant improvement to the team

 

[Khelandros]

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

View attachment 352144

I like this lineup. It's the kind of lineup an NHL team rolling 4 lines looks at and says, "that's a win". And once Toronto has any sort of minor injury that doesn't require LTIR but requires missing a week or so, they are playing short benched, because they have no money to call anyone up.

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

Really hoping they could sign Lehner to a reasonable contract. A goalie of his caliber would be an instant improvement to the team

Yeah Lehner would be my target, Possibly something around 5 x $6.5m give or take.

 

[GaryPoppins]

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.

I know there is speculation about Buff but there is zero chance he plays again. He has his cup and his millions.

 

[DaveG]

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

Ehhhhhh. Lehner would be an upgrade in net but Holtby? 3 years ago sure but not so much anymore.

I think the Canes run their current tandem this coming season then make a play for Andersen or Raanta (if he can stay healthy) the next year.

Only bigish UFA I can see them doing anything with is retaining Vatanen on a 1 or 2 year deal if he'll take it.

 

[Scintillating10]

Krug and Hall be good fits in Montreal if they land Lafreniere. Trade Petry and Tatar for first picks in '21 to make room.

 

[Scintillating10]

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.

How do Blues have caproom to keep Pietroangelo? Expansion draft is next year

 

[Jimmyjets]

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.

I couldn't agree more. DeMelo hasn't been here long but he seems like a great fit. IMO he's option A as signing him allows us some flexibility in how the roster is formed. We can add a proven top 4 left D while Samberg/Heinola continue to develop. We could go after a 2C. We could sign a high and backup tender. We could take on a contract for pennies on the dollar from a cap strapped team or a cap dump for a 1st round pick (wouldn't be willing to do it for less).

If we went after Pietrangelo (31 years old in January) it would be possible to offer $9M but everyone else gets squeezed and due to his age we probably wouldn't be looking to sign him past 35. That combined with him likely having other options and I'm sure the Jets would kick the tires but likely we'd be used to pump up other offers. Here's what we would look like:

I'd be fine with it, but I don't see it as realistic. Perreault is up at the end of the year so his money goes to Laine and Pionk. Lowry walks as a free agent and Gustafsson takes his spot. we'd expose Little in the expansion draft but he likely wouldn't be taken. We'd lose a Harkins or Appleton making a minimum salary so there's no cap releif there. but we plug in other league minimum contracts to fill those spots.

 

[Ledge And Dairy]

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.

You realize I only covered a couple of the UFA's right? I highly expect Colorado to resign Namestnikov but he wasnt listed in the first image. I dont know why you are getting so agressive about my opinions. I personally dont see the Avs offering any long term deals over 4M since they have relevant raises for Landeskog, Burakovsky, Nichushkin, Makar, Graves, Girard, Byram, Kadri, and Grubauer all taki g place in the next 3 years. In that time the only relevant contracts that end during this time are Ian Cole's, Matt Calvert's, and whoever Seattle takes. Most of the UFA's I originally listed are going to want longer term deals.

 

[Bounces R Way]

I'm really curious what kind of 7 year contract Calgary can offer Hall that will beat the 8 year offer from Arizona?

Leaving that 8th year on the table is no sure bet, especially as the league has gotten younger and faster.

While that's true for a lot of players when considering term, #1 picks who have proven productive in the NHL don't really have that concern. Thornton is still making 2 million this year and he's a hundred years old.

It's telling that Haula is the best C available and the only one in the top 25 free agents. He doesn't even play center full time and has eclipsed 40pts once in his career (55). Any teams not entirely happy with their center depth(which is probably most of the league) going into 20-21 are really going to have to pay a premium for it.

 

[Marner4Life]

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

View attachment 352144

Nick Petan should never play another game for the leafs! He's terrible...

 

[brokeu91]

Petro might sign with another team but it will be one that overwhelms him with a deal. His wife’s from St. Louis, they have triplets there, her entire family is there. I’m not saying it’s definite by any means that he resigns with the Blues but it will take a lot to make him move.

 

[McJedi]

You realize I only covered a couple of the UFA's right? I highly expect Colorado to resign Namestnikov but he wasnt listed in the first image. I dont know why you are getting so agressive about my opinions. I personally dont see the Avs offering any long term deals over 4M since they have relevant raises for Landeskog, Burakovsky, Nichushkin, Makar, Graves, Girard, Byram, Kadri, and Grubauer all taki g place in the next 3 years. In that time the only relevant contracts that end during this time are Ian Cole's, Matt Calvert's, and whoever Seattle takes. Most of the UFA's I originally listed are going to want longer term deals.

why would you highly expect the Avs to resign a JAG like Namestnikov? And be focused on a guy likE Byram, who hasn’t even played an nhl game yet and you’re already doing his next deal. Maybe the Avs should just skip the next few years and fast forward to 2024.

So the Avs miss out on all the interesting UFAs, don’t use a lot of 2020-2021 cap space and just resign a 4th liner?

 

[KIRK]

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.

Are the Avs going to pay Cole 4.25M to sit on the bench?

 

[Richard88]

Are the Avs going to pay Cole 4.25M to sit on the bench?

No. We'd simply keep him to start the season as insurance in case Byram isn't ready. But once Byram proves that he's NHL ready we can trade Cole, or if Byram proves that he's ready for top 4 right away then maybe Graves gets moved.

 

[KIRK]

No. We'd simply keep him to start the season as insurance in case Byram isn't ready. But once Byram proves that he's NHL ready we can trade Cole, or if Byram proves that he's ready for top 4 right away then maybe Graves gets moved.

Makes sense. I'd have figured goalie would be a bigger focus, but I can see the argument for Petro to the Avs being a game changer.

 

[nbwingsfan]

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

View attachment 352144

That bottom 6.... yikes

 

[le_sean]

Krug and Hall be good fits in Montreal if they land Lafreniere. Trade Petry and Tatar for first picks in '21 to make room.

Trading Petry to make room for Krug is counterintuitive. He’s the only good mobile defender the Habs have and better than Krug.

 

[themelkman]

Trading Petry to make room for Krug is counterintuitive. He’s the only good mobile defender the Habs have and better than Krug.

Idk about that one man. He might be more important due to his handedness but better? Not really

 

[le_sean]

Idk about that one man. He might be more important due to his handedness but better? Not really

Petry produces similar offence, on a far worse offensive team while not being force fed 65%+ OZS. Yeah it’s pretty clear that Petry is better.

The Habs certainly don’t become better by getting rid of Petry for Krug.

 

[Ciao]

Petro might sign with another team but it will be one that overwhelms him with a deal. His wife’s from St. Louis, they have triplets there, her entire family is there. I’m not saying it’s definite by any means that he resigns with the Blues but it will take a lot to make him move.

AP is set for life in St. Louis and would be a fool to go elsewhere.