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.
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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.
3. Mathieu Perreault, LW
Not a name you would have in the conversation when discussing the best forwards in the National Hockey League, Mathieu Perreault is one of the more intriguing players left on the board as we enter Day 2 of NHL Free Agency.
One of the most underrated bottom-six forwards in the league over the last few years, Perreault should be on the radar of teams who need to bolster their forward depth heading into the 2021-22 season.
The 33-year-old is approaching the back-nine of his career but he had 19 points (9 G, 10 A) in 56 games for the Winnipeg Jets in 2020-21, despite being underused and averaging just 11:43 of total ice time per game.
What really stands out about Perreault’s game, however, is his effectiveness in all three zones and he can lay the body on as backed up by his 84 hits last season, while the Jets allowed just 1.86 expected goals against per hour with the veteran on the ice last year, which perfectly illustrates his ability to suppress shots and chances.
Again, Perreault isn’t going to be an offensive juggernaut, but he could be a gritty, hard-nosed player that will slot nicely into a team’s bottom-six at a cheap price and dominant defensively while chipping in with some offense.
2. Eric Staal, C
Although he is now firmly in the back-nine of his career, Eric Staal could still be a nice piece for a team that needs a veteran presence, or maybe for a contender that is in need of some bottom-six depth.
Staal split the 2020-21 season between the Buffalo Sabres and the Montreal Canadiens, averaging 13:27 minutes of total ice time with three points (2 G, 1 A) in 21 games for the latter.
The 36-year-old did find his offensive groove in the postseason for the Habs as he recorded eight points (2 G, 6 A) in 21 games, while averaging 11:31 minutes of total ice time and laying on 17 hits.
Staal’s impressive resurgence in the Stanley Cup Playoffs should make it clear to some teams that he still has some good hockey left in the tank, and his 50.8 percent Corsi and 52.4 percent oZS% demonstrates that he can control play and help with the possession play.
Will he put up huge offensive numbers and drive play at an elite level? No, but Staal still adds value as a bottom-six forward who can play a hard-nosed game, get to the dirty areas, play in all situations, be a solid faceoff guy and add a veteran presence in the locker room, especially come Playoff time.
1. Marcus Johansson
It is fair to say that the career of Marcus Johansson has taken somewhat of a steep and sudden nosedive over the last couple of years, but it does make him a great value pickup if a team can sign the forward to a cost-effective deal.
A year removed from recording 30 points (9 G, 21 A) in 60 games for the Minnesota Wild, and two years removed from impressing for the Boston Bruins in the postseason, Johansson has regressed somewhat.
Some of that is due to bouncing around the league having taken in four stops in the last three years, while he has suffered with concussion issues and a broken arm cut short his 2020-21 season with the Minnesota Wild.
However, there is still a lot to like about the forward’s game and, when healthy, he can still be a productive bottom-six wing in the NHL while also providing a threat on the power play.
Next. Top 5 Free Agents still available. dark
Johansson could even still slot in as a solid top-six forward on some teams, and he drives play and can play a hard-nosed game too, so he may be the perfect fit for a Playoff team that needs a productive and cost-effective forward who can play up and down the lineup and be slotted in on special teams.