The frenetic NHL free agency has given way to the tranquility of Canadian lakeside cabins, where many team executives clear their minds as training camps approach. The unrestricted free agent pool is essentially a shallow stream with very few impact free agents. However, it’s estimated that nearly every NHL team (except seven) has at least $1 million to spend on their rosters, while 11 teams (from the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks to the contending Carolina Hurricanes, to the Pittsburgh Penguins) have more than $10 million in cap space. This does not take into account the salary space that could be added through trades, such as the one recently made by the Vancouver Canucks, sending forward Dakota Joshua to the Toronto Maple Leafs, freeing up $3.25 million of their salary cap.
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Featured Free Agents and Their Potential Impact
Here’s a look at some of the unrestricted free agents and the impact they could have with a new team. All contract information is courtesy of PuckPedia.Forwards
Jack Roslovic, CAge: 28 years old | 2024-25 cap hit: $2.8 million Possibly the most tempting player remaining in free agency. Roslovic played 81 games with the Carolina Hurricanes last season, generating 22 goals and 17 assists in an average ice time of 13:49. His goal total equaled his career high, set with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2020-21. It’s an instant offense player. His defense is another story: according to Evolving Hockey, he was the second-worst Hurricanes forward in goals allowed at even strength above average, behind Andrei Svechnikov. And Roslovic doesn’t score like Svechnikov. But nobody available on the UFA market scored more goals than Roslovic last season. He has been linked to the Maple Leafs in part because he was Auston Matthews’ teammate on the U.S. National Development Team; the Washington Capitals, who are looking to bolster their forward group; and the Vancouver Canucks, who have had conversations with his team.Max Pacioretty, LW
Age: 36 years old | 2024-25 cap hit: $873,770
Victor Olofsson, RW
Age: 30 years old | 2024-25 cap hit: $1.075 million
Age: 29 years old | 2024-25 Cap Hit: $4 million Fabbri arrived in Anaheim in a trade with Detroit last summer after his best scoring season (18 goals) since he scored 18 goals with the St. Louis Blues in 2015-16. He was the type of player the Ducks wanted: someone who could provide energy and offensive depth before potentially being traded at the deadline, with salary retention, to a contending team. But injuries relegated him to only 44 games last season, during which he scored 16 points. He last played on February 25. When healthy, Fabbri can produce offensively. But wherever he goes, he won’t be close to his base salary of $4.25 million last season. Evolving Hockey predicts he will earn around $1.3 million.Joel Kiviranta, F
Age: 29 years old | 2024-25 Cap Hit: $775,000 Kiviranta is stuck in a unique hockey purgatory. He’s a fourth-line forward who turns 30 next March and averaged 12:31 of ice time last season. That’s a roster spot that could go to a younger player on many teams. But that younger player might match Kiviranta’s production. He generated 16 goals for the Avalanche last season in a depth role, with 15 coming at even strength. He has strong metrics per 60 minutes and creates high-danger chances. The biggest drawback for Kiviranta is his postseason play. He has one goal and two assists in his last 20 postseason games, dating back to his time in Dallas. He did not record a point in his last 10 postseason games with Colorado. For an impactful regular season player, that’s a big disappearing act in the playoffs, and his postseason ice time reflects it.Luke Kunin, F
Age: 27 years old | 2024-25 cap hit: $2.75 million Kunin was solid with the Sharks for the last two seasons. He had 11 goals in 75 games in 2023-24 and then 11 goals in 63 games last season before San Jose sent him to Columbus at the trade deadline for a fourth-round pick. Kunin did not record any points in 12 games in Columbus, and his ice time fell below 10 minutes four times before the Blue Jackets left him as a healthy scratch for the final eight games of the season. Kunin can help the last six of someone in the right fit, but there are concerns. Even when he was creating offense in San Jose, he was also among the worst forwards in expected goals above replacement (minus 7.7).
Defenses
Matt Grzelcyk, DAge: 31 years old | 2024-25 cap hit: $2.75 million
His metrics on an equal footing were not stellar, with an expected goals percentage of 48.6% and barely balanced in shot attempts per 60 minutes, but some of his analytical difficulties can be attributed to playing with Erik Karlsson and against the Penguins’ goalie. Grzelcyk has shown that he can be more than defensively competent for someone better known for his offense.
His agent, Peter Fish, said they are looking for “the best fit for Matt” in terms of money, term, and opportunity. “He’s coming off his best year as a professional. I think he really distinguished himself in the power game in Pittsburgh,” Fish said. Grzelcyk can move the puck, and his breakout pass is still an asset. The left-handed defenseman should find a home on someone’s blue line, especially after his season on the power play. Fish said that waiting beyond the free agency frenzy can sometimes benefit a player. “Sometimes, it’s not the worst thing you can do. It’s a little awkward sometimes, but when you sit back and can see exactly what teams have now,” Fish said. “When you wait a little bit and can say, ‘Well, this is definitely going to be a good place for me.'”Jan Rutta, DAge: 34 years old | 2024-25 cap hit: $2.75 million Rutta played on two Stanley Cup-winning teams with the Tampa Bay Lightning before becoming a free agent in 2022 and signing with the Penguins. He was sent to San Jose in the offseason as part of the three-team deal that sent Karlsson to Pittsburgh. Rutta had a better second season in San Jose than his first, skating to a minus-3 in 54 games for the Sharks while playing with eight defensive partners. Rutta also dealt with some injuries last season. Grier didn’t seem to close the door on Rutta returning to play in San Jose. “He’s been pretty consistent for us here for two years. He’s done a good job helping our young guys and being a bit of a stabilizer, especially on the PK. As I told him, he’s on a list with some other guys where it’s a possibility we bring them back,” he said. But weeks after free agency, Rutta is still on the market.Calvin de Haan, D
Age: 34 years old | 2024-25 Salary Cap Hit: $800,000 Calvin de Haan only played three games for the Rangers after being acquired from Colorado last season. He had no qualms about expressing his frustration about that. “I’m old in hockey. My career could have ended this summer for all I know. Not having that opportunity to compete and use that as a test for the rest of the NHL was very frustrating, obviously. I’m just trying to prolong my career, trying to keep playing. I love the game and that part was annoying,” he said. The 34-year-old defenseman knows that “he’s not a top-four player or a $10 million guy” at this stage of his career. But he’s a depth defenseman whose defensive metrics have remained solid, skating just under 15 minutes per game last season with Colorado and New York.
The Joker
Evgeny Kuznetsov, CAge: 33 years old | 2024-25 cap hit: $7.8 million The salary cap hit of Kuznetsov would have been $7.8 million last season if the Carolina Hurricanes had not terminated his contract after the 2023-24 season. “Ultimately, both sides agreed that this was the best course of action for both the player and the team,” said Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky, when the team was relieved of the $6 million in salary owed to him for this season. Kuznetsov signed a four-year contract with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL. But Kuznetsov terminated that contract in April, giving the 33-year-old forward the opportunity to return to the NHL after only one year in Russia. He didn’t have the best time in Russia, mainly due to some health problems related to multiple concussions, according to Pavel Lysenkov of Match TV. Kuznetsov was once considered one of the most dynamic offensive talents in the NHL while with the Washington Capitals. But his game began to decline in 2022-23, and he generated only two goals and seven assists in 20 games for Carolina after the 2024 trade deadline, although he had four goals in 10 playoff games for the Hurricanes. He was the top scorer and Conn Smythe runner-up on the Capitals’ Stanley Cup-winning team in 2018. In September 2019, the NHL suspended Kuznetsov for three games without pay for “inappropriate conduct,” less than a month after he was banned from playing for Russia because he tested positive for cocaine. Kuznetsov entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in February 2024, prior to his trade to Carolina. Kuznetsov’s agent has said they are not looking to be picky about the team and finances while seeking a return to the NHL. Is anyone willing to take a chance on him this season?
Shopping
T.J. Brodie, DAge: 35 years old | 2024-25 cap hit: $3.75 million Brodie was added to the Blackhawks last summer as a two-year placeholder, allowing their young defense to mature in the AHL. Unfortunately, the fit was disastrous for the veteran defenseman and the team. Brodie played below replacement levels, skated to a minus-18, and Chicago was outscored by nearly 20 goals with him on the ice. Brodie averaged just 15:38 per game, the lowest ice time of his career. He was a healthy scratch for the final two dozen games of the season, and didn’t even travel with the team. The Hawks bought out the last year of his two-year contract. Brodie could still be considered a depth defender given his experience. Hopefully, it will be with a playoff contender, rather than another rebuild.Marc-Edouard Vlasic, D
Age: 38 years old | 2024-25 cap hit: $7 million Grier was still playing with the Sharks when Vlasic made his NHL debut. Therefore, it’s poetic that Grier, as general manager of San Jose, ended Vlasic’s time with the team. “He will go down in history not only as one of the best defenders in the history of the franchise, but as one of the best players,” Grier said when he announced that the team bought out the last year of his contract ($7 million AAV). Vlasic used to be considered for the Norris Trophy for his defensive play. He turns 39 next March, was limited to 27 games last season due to injury, and the Sharks paid him not to play. It was a stellar career for him in San Jose before a steady decline and a contract that made him immovable until it was time for the buyout. Is there another chapter for Vlasic? Vlasic’s agent, Robert Sauve, said the defenseman expects to play in the 2025-26 season and hopes to have clarity on potential next stops in August. Regarding the possibility of a professional tryout (PTO) contract with a team, Sauve said Vlasic “is not there yet” in his process.
The Goalkeepers
Ilya Samsonov, GAge: 28 years old | 2024-25 cap hit: $1.8 million Samsonov appeared in 29 games with the Vegas Golden Knights last season, after three consecutive seasons of playing in more than 40 games with the Washington Capitals and the Toronto Maple Leafs. He went 16-9-4 with a .891 save percentage, essentially playing at a replacement level behind Adin Hill. Samsonov is an average backup after being an acceptable tandem goalie in his prime.James Reimer, G
Age: 37 years old | 2024-25 cap hit: $1 million Reimer is the NHL’s goaltending equivalent of an NFL punter. The leg isn’t what it used to be. The reach isn’t there. But from a reliability standpoint, you could do a lot worse than handing out a one-year contract to a player whose save percentage hovered around .900 in 22 games with the Buffalo Sabres last season. Reimer is hoping to join his sixth NHL team in six seasons.Alexandar Georgiev, G
Age: 29 years old | 2024-25 Salary Cap Hit: $3.4 million It’s still mind-blowing that Georgiev is three seasons away from winning 40 games and finishing seventh in the Vezina Trophy voting. He followed that up with 38 wins for the Colorado Avalanche in 2023-24. After they won the Stanley Cup in 2022, the Avs named him their next starter, trading three draft picks to the Rangers for him. Last season, you needed GPS to locate him. Georgiev was traded to the San Jose Sharks in the deal that sent Mackenzie Blackwood to Colorado. Georgiev won seven of the 31 games he played for the Sharks. Between the two teams, he had a save percentage of .875 and a goals-against average of 3.71. According to Money Puck, he was the second-worst goalie in the league in goals saved above expected (minus 17.9). Again, I used to start more than 60 games in a season. Perhaps a team believes that, in the right system, Georgiev can rediscover his game.
