Stanley Cup Playoffs: 3 pending UFAs that need to redeem themselves
By Jasmine Yen
These players will need to redeem themselves in the Stanley Cup Playoffs if they want to earn a good contract.
With the Stanley Cup Playoffs about to start, it’s easy to forget the NHL’s salary cap is not going up any time soon. This leaves teams with very little room to be generous when signing players. General managers have to be very smart with their money and that is not good news for players entering free agency.
These three players have had very disappointing seasons but could turn their luck around with a strong postseason performance.
Alex Galchenyuk
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Alex Galchenyuk has not had an easy time in the NHL. He has played for four different teams in the last three years and has not had any consistency at all. However, when the Pittsburgh Penguins traded him to the Minnesota Wild in the 2020 trade deadline, he started to find a rhythm. With Minnesota, he was given consistent playing time and put up 7 points (3G 4A) in 14 games.
Galchenyuk said that he was gaining momentum before the season went on pause and is determined to be a difference-maker in the play-in series against the Vancouver Canucks. 26 years old and four teams later, he is going to want some more stability in his next contract and he’s going to need to perform well for it.
Braden Holtby
Braden Holtby spent the past decade of his life as a Washington Capital but with Ilya Samsonov coming up, it seems like his time with the Capitals will be coming to an end. His 2019-20 season has not been good statistically as he saw his save percentage dip under .900 for the first time in his career (.897%). The defense in front of him was not much help but thanks to his offensive support, he still finished with a 25-14-6 record.
Luckily for him, general managers love paying players for postseason performances. Holtby has always been clutch in the playoffs with a career .928 save percentage in 89 games played. He has the ability to steal games for the Capitals and if he can do that, teams will be chomping at the bit to sign the 30-year-old netminder.
Taylor Hall
It’s no secret that Taylor Hall did not have a good season. 27 points (10G 17A) in 35 games is not bad, but considering the package that Arizona parted with, it’s not good enough. The former Hart winner has to prove that this regular season was a fluke and that he’s able to be a difference-maker for the Arizona Coyotes.
His current contract is considered one of the best bargains in the league and I’m sure he wants to change that. However, if he wants a major raise, he’s going to need to prove to general managers that he is worth it.
The Coyotes have shown a lot of interest in re-signing him as he has been in discussions with Arizona’s CEO Xavier Gutierrez and their owner Alex Meruelo. The team does not have a lot of cap space to work with so unless he can blow their socks off with his playoff performance, he’s going to need to take a discount.