Looking Ahead To The Top Unrestricted Free Agents
Luke Fox of Sportsnet List His Top 12 UFAs heading Into the Summer of 2023: Fox writes with the NHL Trade Deadline now over, it is time to look ahead to July 1, 2023. Even with David Pastrnak, Bo Horvat, Dylan Larkin, Joe Pavelski, and Andrei Kuzmenko all signing new extensions, there are still a lot of players in need of contracts despite being traded to new teams at the deadline.
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- Patrick Kane – Kane used his power to control where he was going to get traded at the deadline. He has a fascinating situation because he is coming off a contract that paid him $10.5 million a season. If Kane is going to stay with the Rangers, he will have to take a massive pay cut, but that means GM Chris Drury may have to sacrifice RFA players like K’Andre Miller, Filip Chytil, and Alexis Lafreniere, who all need pay raises.
- Ryan O’Reilly – GM Kyle Dubas went all-in at the deadline acquiring a winner in O’Reilly. Though he would not talk extension, it does not mean O’Reilly is not interested in staying. It will be interesting if O’Reilly is willing to take a pay cut to stay in Toronto especially with Nazem Kadri getting $7 million a season on the open market.
- Vladimir Tarasenko – Tarasenko wanted to be traded. He got his wish. The issue is he is just a pure rental for the Rangers. As mentioned before the Rangers have cap issues with their young forwards coming up. Tarasenko is likely hitting the open market.
- Dmitry Orlov – Bruins got a sneaky good pickup with Dmitry Orlov as the Capitals went into sell mode. Right now, Orlov is cheap, but Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said that Orlov was looking for a seven-year deal but Capitals wanted to go three to four years. It won’t be cheap for GM Don Sweeney to keep him.
- Matt Dumba – Wild have been trying to move defenseman Matt Dumba at every deadline. He can hit the open market unless he gets moved at the draft. He eats a lot of minutes and shoots right, so there will be a market for him.
- Patrice Bergeron – Bergeron took a pay cut to come back for another season. He will likely do it again along with David Krejci. Even with all the hockey Bergeron has played, people around him could see him coming back for another season.