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2019 NHL free agency: 5 potential low-cost bargains

By Dave Stevenson

ST. PAUL, MN - MARCH 11: Joonas Donskoi #27 of the San Jose Sharks skates with the puck during a game with the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center on March 11, 2019 in St. Paul, Minnesota.(Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images)
ST. PAUL, MN - MARCH 11: Joonas Donskoi #27 of the San Jose Sharks skates with the puck during a game with the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center on March 11, 2019 in St. Paul, Minnesota.(Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images /

Brett Connolly

Three years after signing with the Capitals, Connolly’s here once again. He’s earned himself a nice raise from his previous contract after scoring over 20 goals and picking up over 40 points for the first time in his career.

Connolly gets criticism for being a one-trick pony. That might be warranted. However, his one-trick happens to be a really valuable one – goal scoring. Connolly has scored 52 goals over the past three seasons. And he’s done that despite playing in a third-line role.

As long as teams can keep the number for him around $3.5 million, I think he’ll wind up being a pretty solid bargain. What makes Connolly especially interesting is he proved at the start of the 2018-19 season that he can fill in in the top-six and not look out of place. He’s also a nice guy on the power-play, though the Capitals were stacked there, so he didn’t get too much time there.

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Potential suitors: The Edmonton Oilers have been linked to him and they make a ton of sense for him. Put Connolly next to Connor McDavid and he could score 20 goals simply by falling out of bed in the morning. He’s got the speed to be on his line as well.

It wouldn’t surprise me if the New Jersey Devils express interest in him as well. A goal scorer would help solidify their top six. And it might allow them to keep Kyle Palmieri on Nico Hischier‘s line. On a line with Jack Hughes, the Devils wouldn’t need to worry about moving Palmieri down to give him a good sniper.

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