NHL Free Agency: Top 5 potential free agent bargains

It’s hard to find bargains in NHL free agency, but these five players could be value options this offseason.

2020 NHL free agency is going to be extremely interesting. The start date of October 9 is much later than the regular opening day of free agency is July 1, which of course is a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic. However, the start date isn’t the only reason this year in particular has many intrigued.

This year has some superstar pending free agents, headlined by Alex Pietrangelo and Taylor Hall. There are also some great goaltenders who as of now will appear on the market in Jacob Markstrom and Robin Lehner.

While these are the players that are getting the most recognition, there are other good players available, and for much cheaper. While some of the players listed below had down seasons, they have a good chance at bouncing back and could all be big bargains for the teams who sign them.

5. Cody Eakin

Cody Eakin has had a solid under the radar career to this point. The 29-year-old doesn’t receive much attention, but is a very valuable player. He is a terrific defensive forward who is great on faceoffs as well as on the penalty kill. On top of that, he can also help out offensively, proven just two seasons ago when he put up 22 goals and 41 points in 78 games for the Vegas Golden Knights.

This past season was a bit of a struggle for Eakin. In 41 games with the Knights, he managed just 10 points before being dealt to the Winnipeg Jets. While he did appear to be getting into a groove with his new team posting five points in eight games, the COVID-19 pandemic came and ended the NHL season early. He played in the Jets four playoff games but was unable to put up a point.

Given the down year, he will likely have to settle on a short-term deal with a low dollar amount. If that does turn out to be the case, many teams should consider adding him in hopes that he is able to rediscover his offensive touch.