NHL Free Agency: Top 4 best value Free Agents available on Day 2
These four players could offer the best value to teams on Day 2 of NHL Free Agency.
We are now a couple of days into NHL Free Agency and Day One was wild as teams combined to spend over $700 million with the flat cap seeming not to matter, with some big names being signed to huge contracts.
More from Puck Prose
- Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
- This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
- 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
- 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
- This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings
The New Jersey Devils made the biggest splash by dishing out a blockbuster seven-year, $63 million deal to elite defenseman Dougie Hamilton, the Seattle Kraken got themselves a legit No. 1 starter after signing Philipp Grubauer to a six-year, $35,400,000 contract, and the LA Kings signed center Phillip Danault to a six-year, $33 million deal.
That was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to some of the contracts handed out as teams truly went crazy on Day One, and there could be a lot more to come as we enter Day 2 of Free Agency.
We’ve already taken a look at the Top 5 remaining Free Agents on the board that will be sure to attract big offers, but there are also a plethora of players still available on the open market that could offer superb value to teams.
So, on that note, let’s delve right in…
Top 4 Best Value Free Agents Available on Day 2 of NHL Free Agency
4. Jon Merrill, D
A disappointing postseason showing with the Montreal Canadiens aside, Jon Merrill is a perfect signing for those teams seeking depth on the backend and a reliable veteran presence.
Merrill didn’t have eye-popping stats for the Habs in 2020-21, but he was a consistent performer on the backend and logged 14:18 of average total ice time per night, while he’s perfect when played in a shutdown role.
His long reach and rangy frame makes him a nightmare matchup for forwards and, over the last three seasons, there are 186 defensemen who have skated at least 1,500 5-on-5 minutes and Merrill owns the ninth-best shots-against-rate and the fourth-best expected-goals-against rate (information per The Athletic).
That is pretty impressive and, likely to take a deal in the region of $1 million, Merrill would be a cost-effective but reliable and impactful presence on a bottom-pairing for a contending team.