With the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs and NHL Draft in the books, the NHL’s 31 general managers have turned their attention to building a winner in 2018-19. Step one comes on July 1 when the league’s free-agency period officially gets underway. Sportsnet.ca has all you need to know on the top 10 UFAs at each position likely to be available.
Ask all those offensively gifted clubs who watched the Stanley Cup Final from the couch and they’ll paint a clear picture of the value of a skilled, reliable blue line in today’s NHL. Shutting down the opposition is one thing, but as the game has adapted to include quicker transitions and more dynamic offensive schemes, puck-carrying rearguards have become even more highly coveted by the league’s GMs.
This year’s UFA class of blue liners doesn’t offer too many premier puck-movers, and with John Carlson re-signing an eight year deal in Washington it thinned out a little more, but there are other veterans who can still contribute and younger names looking to take the next step who may be worth a shot.
Here’s a look at who’s available this summer…
Top 10 UFAs by position: C | LW | RW | D | G
[relatedlinks]
1. Mike Green
2017-18 Team: Detroit Red Wings
2017-18 Cap Hit: $6 million
Though he’s past the high-flying prime that saw him rack up an absurd 31-goal, 73-point season nearly a decade ago, the 32-year-old offensive defender can still do damage from the blue line. He topped the 30-point plateau for the fifth straight season in 2017-18 (and eighth time overall), and put up 14 goals just last year. Health is sure to be a factor, as the veteran is coming off surgery on his cervical spine in early April, but with his recovery projected to finish up before training camp, Green’s track record should be enough to earn a decent number of offers this summer.
Potential Fits: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, New Jersey, Vegas, Detroit, Edmonton, St. Louis
2. John Moore
2017-18 Team: New Jersey Devils
2017-18 Cap Hit: $1.67 million
Offensively, there’s clearly more to be desired from John Moore, as his numbers from this season or any other don’t necessarily inspire awe. That said, he’s a steady, top-four defender who can log top-pairing minutes and, at only 27 years old, has the potential to take the next step offensively over the course of his next contract. He’s a defence-first talent, but his strong skating ability and decent offensive instincts (he potted a career-high 12 goals in 63 games on a limited Devils squad last year) allow him to remain a useful commodity in today’s up-tempo game.
Potential Fits: Vancouver, Ottawa, Anaheim, Buffalo, Dallas, Detroit, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Philadelphia, Vegas
3. Jack Johnson
2017-18 Team: Columbus Blue Jackets
2017-18 Cap Hit: $4.36 million
After a decade as one of the better-known blue-line talents in the league, Jack Johnson’s stock took a hit over the past couple years as the emergence of Seth Jones and Zach Werenski brought a reduced role for the veteran. That said, he can still play over 20 minutes a night, brings some imposing physicality, and the chance is always there that the right situation might unlock a bit of the offensive talent that saw him hit 40 points as recently as 2014-15. He’s worth a reasonable deal to see what he can do in a return to a slightly bigger role.
Potential Fits: Vancouver, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Anaheim, Buffalo, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Philadelphia, Vegas
4. Ian Cole
2017-18 Team: Pittsburgh Penguins/Columbus Blue Jackets
2017-18 Cap Hit: $2.1 million
He played a key role on a Penguins team that won back-to-back Cups — and did so without No. 1 blueliner Kris Letang in the second of those two runs — before a brief stint with Columbus this season. At 29 years old, and unlikely to break the bank, Cole’s value lies in his versatility. He was a strong enough puck-mover to keep up with the quick-footed, offensively dynamic Penguins, but works primarily as a shutdown defender. Cole can help balance out a team’s defence corps as a steady, second-pairing presence.
Potential Fits: Vancouver, Ottawa, Anaheim, Buffalo, Columbus, Dallas, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Philadelphia, Vegas
5. Greg Pateryn
2017-18 Team: Dallas Stars
2017-18 Cap Hit: $800,000
Unlike some of the others on this list, Pateryn isn’t going to turn heads with offensive prowess, but he’s the kind of defensive option who can fly under the radar here. His 19:37 of ice per game in 2017-18 is the fifth-highest of any pending UFA defenceman and his 2:35 of shorthanded ice per game ranked second to only Dan Hamhuis in Dallas. A right-shooting defender with good size (6-foot-3, 224 pounds), the risk in Pateryn lies in this being his first NHL season suiting up for more than half the games. He’s spent most of his career bouncing between organizations and dealing with injuries, but testing the market could finally find him a place to settle into a second- or third-pair shutdown role for a few years.
Potential Fits: Dallas, Toronto, Colorado, Ottawa, NY Islanders, Columbus, Tampa Bay, Edmonton, Detroit
6. Dan Hamhuis
2017-18 Team: Dallas Stars
2017-18 Cap Hit: $3.75 million
At 35 years old, Dan Hamhuis’ best days are behind him, but the veteran still carved out a key role on a stingy Stars squad that allowed the fourth-fewest shots-against this season. He averaged over 20 minutes per night for the 13th time in his career, chipping in with 24 points. He won’t be a long-term solution for teams needing a defensive upgrade, but for those with especially porous blue lines or in a transition period before younger talents take over, he remains a strong temporary fit.
Potential Fits: Ottawa, Anaheim, Buffalo, Columbus, Dallas, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Philadelphia, Vegas
7. Calvin de Haan
2017-18 Team: New York Islanders
2017-18 Cap Hit: $3.3 million
Calvin de Haan started 2017-18 strong before being sidelined by a separated shoulder in December, which required surgery in January. He said in early April that he finally “feels human” again, so the hope is the 27-year-old is good to go by the time 2018-19 rolls around. As long as no injury issues persist, he remains a good option to fill out a blue line in need of a second-pair upgrade, having logged 19–20 minutes a night for the past five seasons, including a fair bit of time on the penalty kill.
Potential Fits: Ottawa, Anaheim, Buffalo, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Philadelphia, Vegas, Montreal
8. Thomas Hickey
2017-18 Team: New York Islanders
2017-18 Cap Hit: $2.2 million
While his offensive play from the blue line doesn’t rank him anywhere near the league’s top tier of offensive defencemen, Thomas Hickey’s 25 points through 69 games this season were the second-most posted by any UFA blueliner available this summer, trailing only Green. While the Islanders’ defence corps posted an abysmal year overall, Hickey emerged with a team-leading plus-20 on the season, which, if nothing else, indicates he wasn’t the primary cause of the Isles’ defensive woes. At 29 years old, he makes for a solid, affordable depth signing.
Potential Fits: Ottawa, Anaheim, Buffalo, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Philadelphia, Vegas, Florida
9. Kevin Connauton
2017-18 Team: Arizona Coyotes
2017-18 Cap Hit: $1 million
He only logged roughly 15 minutes per night, but what Kevin Connauton did in those limited minutes suggest there may be something worth taking a flyer on. The 28-year-old put up 11 goals and 21 points for Arizona this season, that goal total ranking as the second-highest among this year’s blue-line UFA crop. In fact, Connauton’s 0.60 goals per 60 minutes finished first among all NHL defencemen who played at least half the 2017-18 season. He’ll come cheap, and could be an interesting gamble for clubs looking for affordable offence from the blue line.
Potential Fits: Ottawa, Buffalo, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Philadelphia, Florida
10. Michal Kempny
2017-18 Team: Chicago Blackhawks/Washington Capitals
2017-18 Cap Hit: $900,000
Few saw their stock rise in the playoffs as much as Kempny. Starting the season with Chicago, he was scratched multiple times and, when he did play, averaged the fewest minutes (15:19) of any of the 11 blueliners to suit up for the Blackhawks in 2017-18. Chicago shipped him to Washington at the deadline for a third-round pick and Kempny turned into John Carlson’s defence partner and averaged 17:42 a night in the Stanley Cup run. Trading Brooks Orpik to Colorado freed up cap room, perhaps enough to keep Kempny, and Washington has reportedly made him a multi-year contract offer. If he does reach July 1, though, some other team could still find a bargain in the left-shot defenceman.
Potential Fits: Washington, Dallas, NY Islanders, Vancouver, Buffalo, Detroit
