NHL free agency is almost one month away, and speculation about who will get notable raises on their next contract will only increase from here.
While free agents have a chance to get a better deal on their next contract, that’s not always the case, depending on their age or performance. But having an excellent season certainly helps the player’s case in any situation.
Here are six pending UFAs who helped their case for a better contract than expected this off-season.
Vladislav Gavrikov, D, Los Angeles Kings
In a thin market for NHL defensemen, Gavrikov stands out as one of the most proven blueliners out there.
After another disappointing season for the Kings, which lost in the first round of the playoffs again, the team has a new GM in Ken Holland. Whether Gavrikov fits Holland’s new plan remains to be seen, but the defenseman is proving his worth as a shutdown guy.
The 29-year-old averaged 23:05 of ice time for the Kings in 82 games, and he led the squad with 140 blocked shots. He’s also a workhorse, playing at least 72 games in each of the past four seasons.
Gavrikov earned $5.875 million in each of the past two seasons with Los Angeles, but the big-bodied Russian will almost assuredly get a raise on a long-term contract.
Could he return to the Columbus Blue Jackets? Stranger things have happened. But regardless, Gavrikov is in his prime, and he’s going to be paid like a top-four blueliner no matter where he winds up playing.
Andrei Kuzmenko, LW, Los Angeles Kings
Kuzmenko was a bust in his time with the Calgary Flames this season, posting only four goals and 15 points in 37 games. Making matters worse was his high-end salary of $5.5 million, so Calgary was happy to unload his contract to the Philadelphia Flyers. But after only seven games with Philly, Kuzmenko was flipped to the Kings.
He resuscitated his career after joining the Kings by putting up 12 assists and 17 points in 22 games.
Some teams could hesitate to give Kuzmenko a long-term contract. But on a show-me, don’t-tell-me contract extension, the 29-year-old will likely get a lot closer to this year’s cap hit than what it would’ve been had he stayed on the Flames.
Remember, it was only in 2022-23 when he had 39 goals and 74 points in a single-season with the Vancouver Canucks, so there will be teams out there hoping to get 25 to 30 goals out of him – and that will drive up his asking price significantly.
Kyle Palmieri, RW, New York Islanders
At 34 years old, Palmieri’s prime years are behind him. But in the past two 82-game seasons with the New York Islanders, Palmieri has combined to generate 54 goals and 102 points – very good numbers on a relatively subpar offensive Isles team and for someone earning $5 million per season.
Palmieri won’t get a long-term contract from any team. But he could pick his spot, earn about as much money, if not a little bit more than he made on Long Island, and put himself in a place to go much further than the Islanders will probably be able to go next season.
Health has been a concern for him in the past, but so long as he’s a regular in the lineup, Palmieri can put up 25 goals and be a solid secondary scoring option for a team with serious playoff hopes.
John Tavares, C, Toronto Maple Leafs
Everyone and their crazy uncle knew going into this season that Tavares would be facing a giant pay cut at the end of the year. But what many didn’t count on was that Tavares would put up 38 goals – his best goal total since 2018-19, when he potted 47 goals in his first year as a Maple Leaf.
To justify his $11-million salary, the 34-year-old would’ve had to score 60 and produce at least 100 points. So absolutely, he’s still going to be making much less if he wants to return to Toronto for the rest of his career.
That said, the Leafs do have enough cap space to accommodate RFA left winger Matthew Knies and keep Tavares around. The question is how much Tavares will leave on the table to remain a Maple Leaf.
Would a salary between $5 million to $7 million be fair for him? It definitely would, especially if the term is limited to two or three seasons. Tavares still has something to contribute to a Toronto team with lofty playoff aspirations, but if he wants to give the Leafs more money to deepen the lineup around superstar forwards William Nylander and Auston Matthews, Tavares will have to take a team-friendly hometown discount. Judging from his comments after the season ended, Tavares seems prepared to do that, but he likely deserves more money than any expected pay cut.
Ivan Provorov, D, Columbus Blue Jackets
Provorov has never been able to match or better his 17-goal, 41-point season he had for Philadelphia in 2017-18.
But the 28-year-old still had seven goals and 33 points for the Blue Jackets this season, and his ability to be a minute-muncher, averaging 23:21 of ice time for Columbus this year, means he’ll likely get a raise on the $6.75-million cap hit he’s made for the past six seasons.
Provorov hasn’t turned into a Norris Trophy candidate the way some thought he might, but again, we’re talking about a market for D-men that is definitely thin. Teams seeking a top-four blueliner who lose out on the Gavrikov sweepstakes will be intrigued by Provorov. He could be handsomely compensated on a five- or six-year extension.
Jack Roslovic, C, Carolina Hurricanes
For a couple of years, Roslovic’s career was on the rise, as he had 22 goals and 45 points for Columbus in 2021-22. But he had issues staying healthy of late – that is, until this year, when he netted 22 goals and 39 points in 81 games with the Hurricanes.
The 28-year-old hasn’t been particularly effective in the playoffs for the Hurricanes this spring, posting only three assists and four points in nine playoff games. But his salary of $2.8 million makes him one of the better bargains in the NHL this season, and he should get considerably more than that on his next contract.
Roslovic won’t break the bank on his next deal, but teams aiming to help their secondary scoring could do much worse than signing Roslovic to a three- or four-year extension. Another team could offer him more playing time – Columbus has played him an average of only 13:42 in the playoffs thus far this spring – and Roslovic’s production could spike as a result. In any case, there’s no way he doesn’t get a raise.
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