Pending UFAs Zach Hyman and Frederik Andersen and the expansion draft
Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star: (mailbag) The Toronto Maple Leafs have pending unrestricted free agents in forward Zach Hyman and goaltender Frederik Andersen. Unrestricted free agents don’t need to be protected for the Seattle Kraken expansion draft.
Guessing what type of contract Hyman and Andersen could get – a five-year $4.5 million per deal for Hyman and a three-year deal somewhere between $6 and $8 million per for Andersen.
Do the Maple Leafs try to re-sign Andersen before the expansion draft and expose Jack Campbell and Michael Hutchinson or do they hold off on Andersen and protect Campbell and risk losing Andersen in free agency?
Without having Hyman signed would think they would protect eight skaters – Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares, Morgan Rielly, T.J. Brodie, Jake Muzzin and Justin Holl. Alex Kerfoot, Pierre Engvall and Travis Dermott would be exposed.
If they sign Hyman first they’d likely go 7-3-1, protecting Hyman and exposing Holl.
Comparables for Islanders pending RFA defenseman Adam Pelech
Arthur Staple of The Athletic: New York Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock will see his two-year bridge contract expire after this season. He’ll be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights and he’s going to get paid.
Defensive partner Adam Pelech is also a pending restricted free agent. He’s coming off a four-year with a $1.6 million salary cap hit. Pelech will have arbitration rights and will be a year away from unrestricted free agency.
Six comparables for Pelech.
Colton Parayko – five years at $5.5 million per.
Jaccob Slavin – seven years at $5.3 million per.
Brett Pesce – six years at $4.025 million per.
Connor Murphy – six years at $3.85 million per.
Travis Sanheim – two years at $3.25 million per.
MacKenzie Weegar – three years at $3.25 million per.
An agent said he’s worth more than Sanheim and Weegar. An executive said that Parayko and Slavin may be the high end of what Pelech could be. Parayko and Slavin were also younger than Pelech when they signed those deals though.
The Islanders will also need to re-sign RFAs Anthony Beauvillier and Ilya Sorokin this offseason.
One agent thinks Pelech’s next deal will start with a 3, and another guessing 4×4 or closer to $5 million if they go more term.