NHL Free Agency: The Biggest Name To Keep An Eye On

NHL free agency is one of the most exciting times of the year. We are around that point of the season where unless your team is still going in the playoffs, all you might be caring about is the draft and free agency to see who your team goes out and adds. The big-name on the market for this upcoming draft has to be Johnny Gaudreau.

Johnny Gaudreau is the big free agent of the offseason and fans around the NHL cannot wait to see where he goes.

Gaudreau is just finishing up a six-year contract he signed in October of 2016 that was worth an average of 6.75 million a season. He is also coming off his most productive season in the NHL a season that saw him score 40 goals and put up 75 assists for a total of 115 points.

He also added 14 points in the playoffs including the goal that sent his team out of the first round.

The Calgary Flames have been lucky to have Gaudreau for so long, and it looks like they were finally getting ready to turn the corner and succeed this past season, but now they are in the offseason with a little under 27 million in cap space and a lot of important players to consider re-signing.

For the Flames, and the future of the franchise I do not know if you want to overpay on Gaudreau especially considering he is going to be 29 when next season rolls around and he will be looking for a big pay raise with term.

The Flames most likely cannot afford to re-sign Gaudreau, but some team will give him a contract. A lot of different teams have been linked to Gaudreau through rumors, teams like the Flyers and  Islanders have been linked in rumors with Gaudreau but truthfully we won’t know what teams are interested in him until free agency officially comes along.

The Flames are going to do their best to get Gaudreau re-signed with the team, but if the money becomes an issue or the term is being questioned then look out. It is not every year you see someone who put up 115 points available in free agency.