NHL Free Agency: Looking at five intriguing UFA’s still on the board
These are five of the more intriguing UFA’s left on the board ahead of the start of NHL Free Agency.
Today is the first day of NHL Free Agency, with all the madness set to begin at Noon Eastern Time, when teams throughout the league will be looking to significantly bolster their rosters ahead of the 2021-22 season.
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We have already seen some big names come off the board, including forward Gabriel Landeskog who re-signed with the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, while NHL Insiders are already starting to throw out exclusives when it comes to potential destinations for certain players.
There is less than two hours until NHL Free Agency begins and there should be a plethora of moves within the first hour or so, and the landscape of the league could look quite a lot different by the time we get to tonight.
Therefore, while we still have a bit of time, we’re going to take a look at some of the more interesting Free Agents that remain on the board.
Let’s delve right in, shall we…
NHL Free Agency: Looking at the five most intriguing UFA’s still on the board
5. Tomas Tatar
One of the most interesting names that has slipped under the radar prior to NHL Free Agency opening is forward Tomas Tatar, who is still a productive forward in the NHL and he could be a player worth keeping an eye on today.
Having spent the last three seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, Tatar was a potent offensive threat for the Habs with 58 points (25 G, 33 A) in 2018-19 and 61 points (22 G, 39 A) in 2019-20 and, while his production dipped to 30 points (10 G, 20 A) last season, he is still a decent top-six forward for most teams.
Tatar could even be a productive third-line wing for a contender, but he would be a good fit for a team like the Seattle Kraken who need top-six scoring, while the 30-year-old can also be a dangerous weapon on the power play.
4. Phillip Danault
Set to hit the open market after not agreeing to terms on a new deal with the Montreal Canadiens, Phillip Danault will be a good fit for those teams needing to address center depth.
One of those teams are the Vegas Golden Knights who have interest in Danault, per reports, and it would make sense given that they traded face of the franchise Marc-Andre Fleury to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, thus clearing cap space.
With around $6 million in space, per CapFriendly, they would have the room to sign Danault to a deal and the 28-year-old would be the ideal third-line pivot the Knights have long craved.
The New York Rangers are another team that desperately needs center depth and they could be in the market for Danault, who would no doubt relish the opportunity to play at Madison Square Garden.
Now, and this is a fairly obvious statement, but fit is important here given that Danault won’t provide a boatload of offense, as backed up by his one goal in the 2020-21 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but he’s a shutdown forward that is incredibly responsible in his own zone, he’s elite on the penalty kill, he can log big minutes and he’s very good in the faceoff circle.
3. Ryan Getzlaf
Don’t let anyone tell you that veteran presence, leadership and toughness aren’t important intangibles in the National Hockey League anymore, because they very much are and Ryan Getzlaf offers all three in abundance.
The Anaheim Ducks Captain is set to hit the open market later today after his eight-year, $66 million contract expired, and he would be a good fit for either a contender that needs forward depth or a young, up-and-coming team that needs some leadership.
Therefore, it is no surprise that the Boston Bruins have been linked with Getzlaf given that they need some grit and secondary scoring in their bottom-six, while the 36-year-old would be perfect for the New York Rangers.
After all, the Blueshirts are now trying to win now but with a young roster and a lack of center depth, they could do with established pivots who know how to win and how to lead a locker room, and Getzlaf would tick a lot of boxes for Gerard Gallant‘s team.
Another potential fit is the Edmonton Oilers who need players other than Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to step up and deliver, and the fact that Getzlaf would probably come cheap should be a huge selling point for all of his potential suitors.
2. David Savard
It was expected that the Tampa Bay Lightning would lose a number of their cup-winning core due to cap constraints, and that is proving all so true this offseason with the likes of Yanni Gourde and Barclay Goodrow having found themselves on new teams.
And, while not part of the core having only been acquired at last year’s Trade Deadline from the Columbus Blue Jackets, David Savard was a key part of the Bolts team that won their second consecutive Stanley Cup in 2020-21.
Savard had five assists for five points in 20 postseason games as he won his first championship, but he also gave the Lightning a boatload of grit and toughness on the backend, while being able to play in all situations.
He can log big minutes, he can play on the penalty kill, he can lay the body on, he’s a shot-blocking machine and he can chip in with some offense, so Savard should be a sought-after Free Agent once teams can start conducting their business later today.
Linked with the Montreal Canadiens, Savard would be a good fit on the Habs due to his toughness and durability, and he should be set for a big payday given that he’s coming off the back of winning a Stanley Cup.
1. Blake Coleman
In our opinion anyway, Blake Coleman is the most intriguing name set to hit the open market today given his recent pedigree.
Having been a very good player for the New Jersey Devils, Coleman was acquired by the Tampa Bay Lightning two years ago and he immediately helped them to climb to the top of the mountain and win back-to-back championships.
While playing on the third-line, Coleman was a key cog in those well-oiled Tampa Bay teams and he was a huge reason why the Bolts were able to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions.
A fierce forechecker, able to battle in the dirty areas and in the corners, Coleman is one of just four players to score at least 55 goals and record 500 hits over the last three seasons, which tells you just how dynamic a player he is.
Coleman drives play at both ends of the ice, he’s a hard-nosed player, he’s hard to play against, he’s good for at least 20 goals a year and, as the last two years have proved, he can raise his game come postseason time too and he’s got the rings to back that up.
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With 11 points (3 G, 8 A) in 23 Stanley Cup Playoffs games last year, and 31 points (14 G, 17 A) during the regular season, Coleman has established himself as a star over the past couple of postseasons and, as a result, he will likely get paid today with the Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars and the Calgary Flames all leading contenders for his signature.