Gaudreau, Kadri among players to watch in NHL free agency

The top players expected to be available in NHL free agency include an MVP candidate who might have the chance to go home and a veteran who flipped his old playoff script to become a Stanley Cup champion.

Each had a career year at the perfect time.

Calgary Flames winger Johnny Gaudreau and Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri could be the richest beneficiaries in free agency when it opens Wednesday. Seven-year contracts worth up to, if not more than, $10 million a year are possible.

That is, unless Gaudreau sticks with the Flames. “Johnny Hockey” can sign for eight years up until midnight EDT Tuesday night.

“They’re big decisions,” Calgary general manager Brad Treliving said. “They’re life decisions. If he doesn’t sign with us, he’s earned the opportunity to look at the market. That’s something he’s got to consider.”

One thing Gaudreau could consider is the lure of playing for the Philadelphia Flyers team he rooted for while growing up in Carney’s Point, New Jersey. They’d need to clear significant cap space to make room for Gaudreau, who had a career-best 40 goals, 75 assists and 115 points last season in leading Calgary to the Pacific Division title and into the second round of the playoffs.

Gaudreau, who turns 29 in August, finished fourth in voting for the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player.

Kadri was one of Colorado’s most valuable performers on the way to lifting the Cup for the first time with this core led by Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen and the third time in franchise history.

Acquired three years ago after back-to-back playoff suspensions, he rebounded from another lengthy ban in the 2021 postseason to put up 87 points in the regular season and 15 more in 16 games of the Avalanche’s Cup run.