Big names ready to make next move
Malkin among elite players to be available in free agency
This NHL free agent class already had the most high-end talent in several years. Then Evgeni Malkin made it known he’s testing the market.
Join the club.
The longtime Penguins cornerstone, Stanley Cup champions Nazem Kadri and Darcy Kuemper of the Avalanche, Flames MVP candidate Johnny Gaudreau and Stars defenseman John Klingberg headline one of the deepest groups of free agents in recent history. Even though the salary cap is only going up $1 million per team, record revenues have made for the first increase since 2019, setting the stage for significant money to flow when the market opens Wednesday.
“There is some money to be spent out there,” Hurricanes GM Don Waddell said. “I think there were 21 teams that were cap teams last year and another five or six that were real close. There’s some money to be spent, and players are going to make a lot of money.”
Probably no one more than Gaudreau, who set career highs with 40 goals, 75 assists and 115 points in leading the Flames to the Pacific Division title. His next deal will almost certainly shatter the richest contract signed last year: $63 million to Dougie Hamilton from the Devils.
Gaudreau, a South Jersey native who grew up rooting for the Flyers, has unsurprisingly been linked to the Flyers and also the Islanders, though the Flames have put on a full-court press to keep the dynamic winger who turns 29 in August.
The got better when Malkin on Monday signaled his intent to the Penguins to see what other options he might have. The 36-year-old was a point-a-game player last season even after returning from knee surgery.
Teams looking for a younger option in the middle have Kadri, who like Gaudreau had a career year and extended that production deep into the playoffs. Kadri, who will be 32 by opening night, was one of the Avalanche’s best players on their Cup run with 15 points in 16 games sandwiched around a broken right thumb he played through in the final.
Teammate Andre Burakovsky, longtime Flyers captain-turned-Panthers forward Claude Giroux, Rangers center Ryan Strome and Blues winger David Perron are also among the many intriguing options up front.
“It’s going to be interesting,” Waddell said. “It looks like there’s an abundance of forwards and not as many defensemen.”
The best in that shallow pool is Klingberg, highly coveted as a right-shot defenseman who can run the power play. Think Hamilton money for the soon-to-be 30-year-old Swede, who put up 47 points last season.
Waddell joked he and the Hurricanes aren’t looking for a goaltender for the first time in many years, but there’s no shortage of teams that are. Kuemper, who backstopped the Avs to the Cup, is available after they acquired Alexandar Georgiev from the Rangers, and so is Jack Campbell with the Maple Leafs moving on to Matt Murray, who they got from the Senators.
After inconsistency in net cost them in the playoffs, the Oilers are expected to be big players in the goalie market. So will the Capitals after GM Brian MacLellan “jumped into the fire” by trading Vitek Vanecek to the Devils and doubled down on remaking his goaltending by not tendering a qualifying offer to Ilya Samsonov.
The financial precedent has been set high for a lot of free agents after the Avs re-signed Valeri Nichushkin to an eightyear, $49 million deal Monday. Nichushkin got that after nine goals and six assists in the playoffs, so his $6.125 million annual cap hit could be the floor for Lightning postseason star Ondrej Palat, unless he takes a hometown discount to try to help the team win the Cup for a third time since their run of success began in 2020.
With or without Palat and stable defenseman Jan Rutta, the Lightning could again shop in the bargain aisle as they did last year by adding veterans Corey Perry, PierreEdouard Bellemare and Zach Bogosian, who were key pieces of a third consecutive run to the final.
“You start with, what holes do I need to fill and who are the best options to fill those holes, considering the cap space I have and the cap space I’m going to need to sign those players,” Lightning GM Julien BriseBois said.
Filling out the roster with depth players could take some time, not just for the Lightning but around the league. Many executives still expect the usual free agent frenzy beginning at noon Wednesday, though that may not be the only time for the vast majority of signings like most years.
“There’s always going to be the rush of certain players are going to get signed, but because of the tight cap situation, are there going to be other situations that take place after that time frame?” Stars GM Jim Nill said. “This might be a year where it drags on a little bit longer.”