Let's start here...this story is NOT about offer sheets. I have written before about the craziness of offer sheets. There are maybe 5 superstar players in the NHL worth what you'd have to give up to get them given the current offer sheet set-up. The players would be wise to get that changed a bit in the next CBA...
If any offer sheets are to be made this summer they would be to bottom tier players...However, this doesn't mean the threat of major offer sheets won't spur on activity in the trade markets...this year especially there are some big name RFAs out there.
What also is clouding this year's RFA market was the disastrous holdout of William Nylander last fall. Before last year, teams were already looking at this year with dread, fearing there was a good chance that we would see as many as 5-8 holdouts this season. But after Nylander it is widely believed that both sides will want to get things done earlier and maybe stances will weaken a little earlier.
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Top RFA forwards..
#1. Sebastian Aho
As skilled as they come. A mixture of Selanne and Saku Koivu. Carolina continues in the playoffs. Aho should be the biggest ticket.
#1A. Mikko Rantanen
Rantanen was among the best players in the NHL this season and continues to get better and better.
#2. Brayden Point
A young Patrice Bergeron... One of the best all around players on the best team in the NHL? Yes, Point will get paid...probably enough to keep the Lightning out of the Erik Karlsson sweeps and could force the Bolts to move some others in trades.
#3. Of course there is Mitch Marner...
Leaf fans have made it clear they won't accept the team not signing Mitch Marner...no matter the cost, and this regime has so far shown that its desire to make the safe play and not rock the boat as their first priority. The issue is they have painted themselves into a corner with Marner. He can essentially ask for whatever price he wants or get an offer sheet the Leafs have already promised to match. Marner's signing will give Toronto three 10 million plus forwards, and while no one can debate Marner's skillset it is also hard to debate that the Leafs aren't going anywhere in the playoffs until they start to address their defense and goaltending....A trade could happen here. There are teams willing to put multiple (extremely needed) top flight pieces out there for Marner in a trade that would better the Leafs chances, but the Leafs are more likely to try and get what they can for lesser forwards.. And hope they can sign a few bargain d-men who won't be as good as the departing Gardiner, but may be enough as a whole, combined with their coming prospects to allow for the huge imbalance in salaries.. The Leafs may make a play for Tyler Myers, but the price is likely to be too high...
#4. Patrick Laine...
Still have him at #4 despite the terrible year....could he be traded? I don't see it. BUT that would be pretty damn bold and fix the Cap hell the Jets are working with...
#5 Matthew Tkachuk.
Already a star in Calgary. The Flames will have no issue signing Tkachuk.
#6 Timo Meier.
Timo at times shows signs of total superstardom...He needs more consistency for sure, but there are points that are just nuts. He could be on this list anywhere from #3 to # 23...
#7 William Karlsson
Karlsson signed a one-year deal and it may come back to bite him...The Knights are in SERIOUS cap hell, but I don't see them moving Karlsson...yet.
#8. Brock Boeser.
Future so bright in Vancouver...Boeser will shine in this next contract and everyone knows it.
#9 Travis Konecny.
Outside of Couturier and Giroux, TK was the Flyers most consistent forward and perhaps the hardest working of all Flyers. Konecny gets the absolute most out of every shift...a trait that is very rare in today's NHL/Pro Sports.
#10. Kasperi Kapanen.
Another Leaf who has to get paid, Kapanen, as I once predicted, passed Nylander on the depth chart and his two-way play has Babcock getting him on the ice more and more..
Other notables... Kyle Connor, Vrana, Donato, Andreas Johnsson, Schmaltz, Kerfoot, Buchnevich...
Four Defensemen That Will Drive Everything.......
There are four highly skilled RFA D this summer... Werenski, Provorov, McAvoy, and Will Butcher. All I talk to believe these guys are tied at the hip when it comes to salary. According to my sources, the reason none of these players have been extended as of this time is because each is waiting to see what the other can obtain. It is expected that these players will be command somewhere between 6.6 and 7.5 per year depending on term...They will all get done and likely not be moved, but holdouts are also very much in play here.
The next level RFA D are also impressive...
The next level here consists of players (some a little older) but not yet at UFA status... Some of these could be targeted for offer sheets and the top there are all very important to teams at crossroads...The first two are the rarely found "right-handed D-men."
*Jakob Trouba in Winnipeg has always threatened to leave town... *Cody Ceci in Ottawa is vital for the Senators, but is also a coveted by Toronto...yet that would require the Sens and Leafs getting together... *Travis Sanheim in Philly falls slightly below Provorov on the food chain, but not by much.
Other RFA D...
Edmundson, Beaulieu, Carrick, Jake McCabe, Ryan Murray, Anthony DeAngelo and the rapidly rising stock of Brett Kulak in Montreal.
In Goal...
How much would you like to be Binnington's agent right now? The Blues MVP and on a potential Cup run with the RFA keeper....
Also RFAs...Rittich, Ullmark, Korpisalo, and Demko...
What's the BUZZ?
What RFA's are you interested in trying to poach? How would you go about it?
more to come