With so many of the league’s significant players headed toward 2014 free agency re-signing with their clubs mid-season, unattached stars will be scarce on July 1, when the courting period ends and unrestricted free agents can ink contracts with the highest bidder — or the one that offers them the best chance to win a Stanley Cup.
The NHL’s salary cap will rise from $64.3 million to $69 million in 2014-15, so expect some hefty contracts for these 14 in-demand players.
Keep it here for a regularly updated look at the latest buzz surrounding these free agents and our best guess as to whether they re-sign with their current club or take their talents elsewhere.
14. Milan Michalek
Age on July 1: 29
Team: Ottawa Senators
Position: Left wing
2013-14 cap hit: $4.33 million
Stay or go? Stay
Why he’ll get paid: A five-time 20-goal scorer who peaked with a 35-goal campaign in 2011-12, the Czech-born winger is coming off a down year for the underachieving Sens, but he’s still under 30 and should provide his team with a valuable scoring touch.
Latest dirt: Michalek has received an offer from the Senators and hasn’t ruled out a return to Ottawa, yet he is taking advantage of the NHL’s interview period to hear pitches from other clubs. Plenty of teams have expressed interest.
As I reported today, a dozen teams have shown interest in Milan Michalek. He will give OTT a shot to re-sign. #Sens #ottnews
— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) June 30, 2014
13. David Legwand
Age on July 1: 33
Team: Detroit Red Wings
Position: Centre
2013-14 cap hit: $4.5 million
Stay or go? Go
Why he’ll get paid: A reliable Nashville Predators forward for forever, Legwand was a deadline addition to the Red Wings who can still bring experience and defensive responsibility to an NHL team looking for third-line depth. He will never be a point-per-game guy or regain his 27-goal form, but he can chip in with points and should be trusted in all areas of the ice.
Latest dirt: As the Red Wings consider re-signing Daniel Alfredsson and look to get its young forwards more involved, it is expected the team will let Legwand try his luck in free agency.
12. Jussi Jokinen
Age on July 1: 31
Team: Pittsburgh Penguins
Position: Left wing
2013-14 cap hit: $3 million
Stay or go? Stay
Why he’ll get paid: Scooped from the Hurricanes at the 2013 trade deadline for the low price of a conditional sixth- or seventh-rounder, the Finn returned to his 20-goal, 50-point form in Pittsburgh’s high-octane offence. Though Pittsburgh’s second-round exit from the playoffs was disappointing, Jokinen cannot be blamed. He scored seven goals and added three assists in 13 playoff games this spring and has been a great fit on the Pens’ second line. And don’t overlook his shootout skills, which can help a team pick up valuable standings points in this era of parity.
Latest dirt: During locker cleanout, Jokinen expressed his wish to return to the Penguins, and they’d be foolish not to give him a modest raise and bring him back. But the hiring of GM Jim Rutherford has added an interesting wrinkle; Rutherford traded Jokinen to Pittsburgh when he was managing the Carolina Hurricanes.“I’ve talked with them,” Rutherford told TribLive.com of Jokinen and Matt Niskanen. “I think both players would like to return. But they’re also coming off good years. It’s time for them to hit free agency and get their big contracts. With that being said, we’ll see what happens leading up to free agency.” According to the Winnipeg Sun, the Jets could be interested in signing Jokinen.
11. Radim Vrbata
Age on July 1: 33
Team: Arizona Coyotes
Position: Right wing
2013-14 cap hit: $3 million
Stay or go? Go
Why he’ll get paid: Ably filling a top-six role on a team desperate for scoring, the veteran Vrbata posted his fourth 20-goal season with the team and surpassed 30 assists for the first time in his 12-year NHL career. Expect a mid-term deal with a slight raise to be his reward.
Latest dirt: Vrbata’s agent, Rich Evans, told the Arizona Republic on June 26 that “more than a handful” of teams have expressed interest in his client. Expect Vrbata to be a nice consolation prize for teams that miss out on some of the big offensive guns.
Evans: "We're just continuing dialogue with those teams at this time." Said Vrbata camp will also keep in touch with #Coyotes.
— Sarah McLellan (@azc_mclellan) June 26, 2014
Plenty of interest in Radim Vrbata, ARI RW who has scored at a 29-goal pace over last 3 seasons. As many as 6 teams are serious.
— Mark Spector (@SportsnetSpec) June 30, 2014
10. Mike Cammalleri
Age on July 1: 32
Team: Calgary Flames
Position: Left wing
2013-14 cap hit: $6 million
Stay or go? Go
Why he’ll get paid: A fantastic team guy and hard worker whose production increased after he (surprisingly) wasn’t dealt at the trade deadline, Cammalleri was the Flames’ most prolific scorer in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season and led the rebuilding club in goals (26) this year.
Latest dirt: Brian Burke offered Cammalleri an extension mid-season, but the forward turned down the offer. While rumours persist that teams such as the Kings could be interested, Cammalleri said, “I am far from having ruled Calgary out as my future.” On June 11, Cammalleri told Sportsnet 590 The Fan that he had spoke with new Flames GM Brad Treliving a couple of times and that the dialog was good. “At the same time, I’m aware pending free agency isn’t that far away,” Cammalleri said. “I’d imagine I’ll be talking to my agent a lot here over the next couple of weeks and make some decisions.” As of June 28, talks were still ongoing, according to Treliving.
Term is still the issue between CGY and Mike Cammalleri. If he's going to stay in on a rebuild, he'll want plenty of it.
— Mark Spector (@SportsnetSpec) June 30, 2014
9. Brad Richards
Age on July 1: 34
Team: None
Position: Centre
2013-14 cap hit: $6.67 million
Stay or go? Gone
Why he’ll get paid: Ron MacLean’s favourite P.E.I. native may be on the decline, but play-making centremen with more than 100 games of playoff experience don’t hit the open market often. Richards is a leader who can operate the power play and has scored at least 20 goals in every season but one in which he’s played a minimum of 72 games, including 2013-14.
Latest dirt: After being bought out by the New York Rangers last week, rumours of Richards landing in centre-hunting Toronto or even back in Tampa Bay surfaced. “Brad would certainly respond positively to interest from Tampa,” his agent, Pat Morris, told the Tampa Bay Times. The Islanders and Devils are also said to have interest in Richards.
#Isles contacted Brad Richards. #Sabres, #Isles are pursuing Matt Moulson again. (Toronto Sun)
— Chris Nichols (@NicholsOnHockey) June 30, 2014
8. Dan Boyle
Age on July 1: 37
Team: New York Islanders
Position: Defence
2013-14 cap hit: $6.67 million
Stay or go? Go
Why he’ll get paid: A smart Stanley Cup champion who is a rock on the point and can still quarterback a power play. Boyle is getting older, but he’s still one of the NHL’s more dependable defencemen and free-agent blueliners who can score 35-plus points a season and log 21 minutes per night are hard to find.
Latest dirt: Sharks GM Doug Wilson announced on May 15 that Boyle and Marty Havlat would not be re-signed by San Jose. On June 5, Wilson dealt Boyle to the New York Islanders for a conditional fifth-rounder in the 2015 draft (the pick becomes a fourth-rounder if Boyle signs with the Isles). Bit of a gamble on Isles GM Garth Snow’s part; he must’ve believed he had a good shot to sign the veteran. He doesn’t, according to ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun, who reported last week that talks have broken off between the Isles and Boyle. New York is now shopping Boyle’s rights. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers are among those interested in signing Boyle. By clearing cap space, the Tampa Bay Lightning might also be in the mix. According to multiple reports, Boyle would like to sign a two-year deal, preferably with a contender.
On Dan Boyle, around 10 teams showed interest. Rangers and Flyers are among those teams. #tvasports
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) June 26, 2014
#RedWings have talked to UFA D Dan Boyle's camp, but sense is another team will give him more $$$ & term.
— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) June 27, 2014
7. Jonas Hiller
Age on July 1: 32
Team: Anaheim Ducks
Position: Goaltender
2013-14 cap hit: $4.5 million
Stay or go? Go
Why he’ll get paid: Of the goaltenders on this summer’s open market, Hiller easily led all in wins (29) and shutouts (five) in 2013-14. He has a career .916 save percentage in the regular season and .932 in the post-season. He can still be a No. 1 in this league.
Latest dirt: Having been dealt a vote of anti-confidence in Anaheim, watching the younger Frederik Andersen and John Gibson get valuable playoff starts, Hiller could be the consolation prize for teams that can’t land Ryan Miller this summer. GM Bob Murray confirmed that Hiller would not be returning to Anaheim. And Hiller told News 1130 Sports on June 27 that the Canucks and three other teams have expressed interest. Andy Strickland reported on Sunday that as many as five teams have now had talks with Hiller.
NHL | The four teams that are reportedly interested in UFA goalie Jonas Hiller seem to be Vancouver, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Winnipeg.
— Swiss Hockey News (@SwissHockeyNews) June 29, 2014
6. Matt Niskanen
Age on July 1: 27
Team: Pittsburgh Penguins
Position: Defence
2013-14 cap hit: $2.3 million
Stay or go? Go
Why he’ll get paid: Of all the league’s UFA defencemen, Niskanen racked up the most points (46) in 2013-14. He added another nine in the post-season. He logged more than 20 minutes of ice time and his plus-33 rating is 19 better than Willie Mitchell’s, the runner-up in that category among D-men on the market. Top-four free-agent defencemen under 30 are scarce this summer, which equals a payday for Niskanen, who couldn’t have picked a better season to break out in a big way.
Latest dirt: The common belief is Niskanen priced himself out of Pittsburgh. New GM Jim Rutherford believes that is the case, too. Expect D-hunting teams such as Edmonton, Colorado and cap-happy Detroit to take a hard look. We could be in for a bidding war. The Star Tribune reports that the Minnesota Wild have already reached out to Niskanen’s camp. So have the Red Wings, who are reportedly prepared to offer a seven-year deal. The Islanders, who whiffed on Dan Boyle, are also among the many clubs interested here.
More than 10 teams expressed interest in UFA Matt Niskanen. He and his agent will narrow that list to a workable number this evening
— Katie Strang (@KatieStrangESPN) June 30, 2014
5. Jarome Iginla
Age on July 1: 37
Team: Boston Bruins
Position: Right wing
2013-14 cap hit: $6 million
Stay or go? Stay
Why he’ll get paid: Iginla tied Patrice Bergeron as the Bruins’ leading goal scorer this year and is still in the midst of a streak of 12 consecutive 30-goal seasons when the NHL gives us a schedule longer than 48 games. And as last summer’s one-year contract proved, Iginla is willing to sign cap-friendly, bonus-heavy deals.
Latest dirt: Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli wants him back. “He’s a veteran guy, he plays our brand of hockey and he fits in seamlessly with that first line. He’s been everything we thought he’d be — everything and more,” Chiarelli said during the team’s postmortem. Plus, Don Cherry says Iginla is staying put. Rumour has it, Iggy and the Bruins are looking at a two-year pact this time instead of one. And CSNNE.com reported on June 12 that the Bruins’ other prospective free agents are in a holding pattern while Chiarelli & Co. focus on getting an Iginla deal done. Chiarelli told local reporters on June 23 that he is still trying to re-sign Iginla, but the Boston Herald reported that the Detroit Red Wings “are believed to have interest in Iginla.” Boston’s cap issues, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports, have forced Iginla to look elsewhere… but don’t count the Bruins out just yet.
Jarome Iginla is looking at a 2 year deal. The only team he would accept to go for 1 season is Boston. #tvasports
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) June 30, 2014
4. Matt Moulson
Age on July 1: 30
Team: Minnesota Wild
Position: Left wing
2013-14 cap hit: $3.13 million
Stay or go? Go
Why he’ll get paid: Came up just shy of scoring 30 goals for the fourth time in his career, despite wearing three different sweaters in 75 games. Known primarily as a sniper — and other than Thomas Vanek, he’s the only pure goal scorer aged 30 or under here — Moulson has steadily improved his passing and his all-around game. Bonus: he stays out of the penalty box. Thirty-goal threats make more than $3 million.
Latest dirt: With buzz that the Minnesota Wild will chase Vanek, Moulson could be the odd man out of Minnesota. That he scored just one goal in 10 playoff games doesn’t help his case to remain with the Wild, but a goal-hungry club like Nashville, Arizona or Florida could snap him up for an affordable rate. The Buffalo Sabres, who traded Moulson at the deadline, are aggressively trying to lure him back, according to multiple reports.
Matt Moulson is in an enviable position. Either way – contender, Sabres floor guy, Tavares reunion – he's going to get paid.
— Chris Botta (@ChrisBottaNHL) June 29, 2014
3. Ryan Miller
Age on July 1: 33
Team: St. Louis Blues
Position: Goaltender
2013-14 cap hit: $6.25 million
Stay or go? Go
Why he’ll get paid: Miller won both the NHL’s Vezina and MVP honours at the Olympic hockey tournament in 2010. He’s a bona fide No. 1 goalie with 29 shutouts and 294 wins at the NHL level.
Latest dirt: A rental that never panned out in St. Louis, Miller is looking to join a Cup contender, his agent says, preferably one in the Western Conference. Rumours and common sense have linked him to the Anaheim Ducks, with Jonas Hiller on the way out. The Vancouver Canucks, who contacted Miller’s agent, could be a strong possibility as GM Jim Benning drafted Miller to Buffalo back in 1999. Miller is meeting in-person with the Canucks on Monday, according to News 1130 Sports.
Agent Mike Liut and UFA goalie in Vancouver today to meet with the #Canucks.
— News1130 Sports (@News1130Sports) June 30, 2014
Liut made Miller available to all teams over weekend in Philly for a vist, #Canucks jumped all over it.
— News1130 Sports (@News1130Sports) June 30, 2014
Liut says #Canucks made "significant push" but Miller will take his time. SJ and Ducks should be in mix.
— News1130 Sports (@News1130Sports) June 30, 2014
2. Paul Stastny
Age on July 1: 28
Team: Colorado Avalanche
Position: Centre
2013-14 cap hit: $6.6 million
Stay or go? Stay
Why he’ll get paid: He’s an under-30 centre with six 20-goal seasons to his name, and the two-time Olympian is coming off his best campaign in four years. Even better: Stastny threw up 10 points in seven playoff games for the Avs.
Latest dirt: This one is interesting. Stastny is making significantly more than younger, more exciting teammates like Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog, but it’s hard to fathom him wanting to take a pay cut. The Avs have room to sign him, but Stastny will go get more money on an open market that favours a proven centreman. As the free agent interview period opened, Stastny planned to listen to other teams’ pitches despite having “good” conversation withe the Avs, according to the Denver Post. Stastny and his agent have promised Joe Sakic and the Avs they will circle back and give Colorado an opportunity to match other teams’ offers, the Post reports. But the Blues, Rangers, Jets, Oilers and Wild are among several teams said to be interested. This comes down to one thing: Does Stastny want more money, or does he want to remain with the Avalanche?
#avalanche Patrick Roy said he's still hopeful to sign Paul Stastny and Andre Benoit. #tvasports
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) June 27, 2014
Hearing COL can't go past $6M on Stastny. He'll choose between a UFA home run, and staying in a good situation in Denver.
— Mark Spector (@SportsnetSpec) June 30, 2014
1. Thomas Vanek
Age on July 1: 30
Team: Montreal Canadiens
Position: Left wing
2013-14 cap hit: $7.14 million
Stay or go? Go
Why he’ll get paid: After leading all Buffalo Sabres in scoring in 2012-13, Vanek wore three different sweaters in 2013-14, settling as a rental player for Montreal. He immediately walked into the Canadiens dressing room as the team’s leading scorer and has the potential to lead the highest bidder in scoring come 2014-15.
Latest dirt: If you want the full story on Vanek the master negotiator, check out Chris Johnston’s in-depth feature. Vanek’s agent, Steve Bartlett, has confirmed that his client will test the open market. All signs point to Vanek rejoining friend Jason Pominville and signing with the Minnesota Wild, perhaps to the tune of $40 million. The Wild reached out to Vanek once the interview period opened. (Minnesota GM Chuck Fletcher also got in contact with the agents of Stastny, Niskanen and Willie Mitchell.) Still… “I don’t think we’re absolutely entrenched on anything,” Bartlett told the Star Tribune on June 24. “Vanek is a very confident guy, somebody that is, I think, going to look at everything – the financial side, the family side, the team side… I don’t think we have anything cast in stone come Wednesday or July 1.” Vanek met with the Wild Sunday night; the team would like to sign him to a short-term deal, according to the Star Tribune.
Vanek camp still down to four teams. Not looking for long-term deal. At 30, this doesn't have to be his last deal.
— Mark Spector (@SportsnetSpec) June 30, 2014
Best of the rest
Forwards: Mike Ribeiro, Benoit Pouliot, Olli Jokinen, Lee Stempniak, Mikhail Grabovski, Brian Gionta, Steve Ott, Brian Boyle, Daniel Alfredsson, Ales Hemsky, Dave Bolland
Defence: Christian Ehrhoff, Willie Mitchell, Anton Stralman, Andrej Meszaros, Stephane Robidas, Sami Salo, Tom Gilbert, Michael Del Zotto
Goaltenders: Ilya Bryzgalov, Tim Thomas, Chad Johnson, Thomas Greiss, Justin Peters, Al Montoya, Ray Emery, Martin Brodeur