NHL Power Rankings: Clock ticking on these pending free agents

Everybody knows that feeling of something significant in the calendar sneaking up on you. And nothing drives home how fast time can pass like the need to go get a new calendar because we’ve just flipped to a new year.

With the very recent arrival of 2024, the reality that a bunch of contracts are on the cusp of expiring just got that much more real. It’s no longer next year that your team’s top scorer can hit the open market or its best young D-man is due a new deal, it’s this summer.

Suddenly, you can hear the clock ticking.

With that in mind, we thought we’d use the first Power Rankings of 2024 to highlight key players who are eligible to become either restricted or unrestricted free agents in a mere seven months.

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1. Boston Bruins (23-7-6) The big free-agent question in Boston is figuring out the future of goalie Jeremy Swayman, who could become an RFA for the second consecutive summer. Because Swayman’s current $3.5-million, one-year deal was inked (after being determined by an arbitrator) in August, he became eligible to sign an extension only three days ago, on Jan. 1. Maybe things will come together between the player and club long before the weather warms.

As for the UFAs, it’s easy to wonder if these are the final months of Jake DeBrusk’s Bruins tenure. Matt Grzelcyk, Charlie McAvoy’s partner on the top pair, is also eligible to walk this summer.

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2. Winnipeg Jets (23-9-4) Boy, did the Jets ever get ahead of this business, announcing about $120 million worth of extensions for Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck the day before the NHL season began. Dylan DeMelo — who averages the second-most nightly ice time on the team — is UFA-eligible, as is fellow defenceman Brenden Dillion. Cole Perfetti’s entry-level deal is about to be up, and you wonder if there’s a bridge deal coming or if the team is ready to bet big on Perfetti’s talent.

3. New York Rangers (25-10-1) Two young defencemen — tough-as-nails Ryan Lindgren and 2020 first-rounder Braden Schneider — are due new deals as RFAs. The interesting question, believe it or not, might be whether to offer Jonathan Quick — who turns 38 in a couple weeks — another deal as a UFA. The veteran has far outstripped expectations as Igor Shesterkin’s backup this season.

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4. Vancouver Canucks (24-10-3) There are two enormous Swedish contact subplots this year in Canada, and Elias Pettersson’s pending-RFA status is one of them. Surely he’d feel better about committing to Vancouver long-term after seeing how half this season has gone. Meanwhile, Filip Hronek’s situation has become a lot more interesting this season as he could suddenly be a 60-point, right-shot, 26-year-old RFA defenceman in need of a new deal. Vancouver’s D-corps could certainly look at lot different next fall as they’ll happily bid adieu to Tyler Myers’ $6-million hit, while in-season acquisition Nikita Zadorov and steady third-pair man Ian Cole are also set to become UFAs.

5. Colorado Avalanche (24-11-3) All of Colorado’s 2024 UFAs are bottom-of-the-lineup, interchangeable-type guys. The big item of business in July and August might be hammering out an extension for Mikko Rantanen, who’s UFA-eligible in 2025.

6. Dallas Stars (22-10-4) Is there a long-term fit with Matt Duchene? He was a great UFA signing last summer by Dallas (one year, $3 million) and is certainly earning a tasty new deal with his point-per-game play. Joe Pavelski is also on a one-year deal and you wonder, with his 40th birthday (!) coming in July, if the team and still-fantastic player will just go year-by-year each summer.

7. Florida Panthers (23-12-2) It is going to be an interesting summer in South Florida. Sam Reinhart — on pace for nearly 100 points — could wind up being the top forward of the UFA class. On the back end, key cogs Brandon Montour, Gustav Forsling and Oliver Ekman-Larsson are all heading toward UFA status, as is solid backup goalie Anthony Stolarz.

8. Carolina Hurricanes (21-13-4) Brett Pesce was in trade rumours last summer because he was entering the last year of his deal before becoming a UFA. He, along with fellow D-man Brady Skjei, can hit the open market in seven months.

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9. Toronto Maple Leafs (19-10-7) We arrive at the other gigantic Swedish subplot in Canada. All we keep hearing and reading, though, is that William Nylander wants to be a Leaf and the team obviously wants the sniper in its midst. Seems like this one will ultimately get done. Still, there’s lots of uncertainty swirling around the Buds, with one-year guys Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi set to become UFAs again, as well as D-men T.J. Brodie and veteran Mark Giordano.

10. Los Angeles Kings (20-9-5) Quinton Byfield is having a breakout year just as he’s coming off his entry-level contract. Bridge deal or big-time contract? Every goalie the Kings have is on an expiring deal. Maybe Cam Talbot comes back on another one- or two-year contract because he’s been so good? Matt Roy, who plays 20 minutes a night for L.A. on the blueline, is also eligible to become a UFA.

11. Vegas Golden Knights (22-11-5) Vegas has two big questions marks up front, with 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Marchessault and centre Chandler Stephenson both set to become UFAs. Stephenson, in particular, is due a sizable raise on his current $2.75-million cap hit. One thing working in the Knights’ favour in terms of retaining those guys is the fact Alec Martinez and his $5.25-million hit can come fully off the books.

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12. Edmonton Oilers (19-15-1) Mostly fringy guys are up this summer in Edmonton. The challenging issues for the books will be trying to hammer out an extension for Leon Draisaitl before he enters a walk year and deciding if the Oilers have to suck it up and buy out the three remaining years on Jack Campbell’s deal.

13. New York Islanders (17-10-10) Cal Clutterbuck, 36, and Matt Martin, 34, were part of the Islanders’ bang-and-bash fourth line for years. Both are likely in their last days on Long Island as they head toward free agency.

14. Philadelphia Flyers (19-13-5) This team will probably still trade pending-UFA blue-liner Sean Walker, but the Flyers’ surprise season has to have them at least slightly reconsidering a move that once felt like a lock. Meanwhile, goalie Carter Hart is a pending RFA with arbitration rights.

15. Washington Capitals (18-12-6) The Caps will be happy to wave bye-bye to Anthony Mantha, whose $5.7-million hit is coming off the books. Defenceman Rasmus Sandin — who plays 22 minutes per night and is still in search of his first goal of the season — can become an RFA this summer.

16. Arizona Coyotes (19-15-2) The only defencemen on the Coyotes books beyond this year at this point are Florida Panther Oliver Ekman-Larsson (small dead-cap hit for his buyout in Vancouver), functionally retired Shea Weber (they traded for his contract from Montreal) and Patrik Nemeth (bought out last summer, currently playing in Switzerland). Everyone actually taking shifts for the team is a pending free agent of some sort, and the most interesting negotiations will be with RFAs Sean Durzi and J.J. Moser.

17. New Jersey Devils (20-14-2) New Jersey traded for Tyler Toffoli last summer, and the pending-UFA might just be a one-year Devil. For the sake of both player and club, Jersey climbs back into a playoff spot and Toffoli can prove his worth in the post-season.

Dawson Mercer will be an interesting RFA negotiation to monitor. After failing to register a point through 10 games this season, the 22-year-old has 12 goals in his past 26 games, which is a 39-goal pace.

18. Pittsburgh Penguins (18-14-4) Jake Guentzel is having a career year, just as he can hit the open market at 29 years old. How much of a raise on his $6-million hit will he get if he finishes with 95 points this year?

19. Nashville Predators (21-16-1) Both Tyson Barrie and the Preds would like his time to end in Nashville well before his contract expires this summer. He could be an interesting buy-low candidate for somebody either via trade before the deadline or in the summer on a short deal.

20. Seattle Kraken (15-14-9) Jordan Eberle is having a disappointing year in advance of hitting the open market. Second-line centre Alexander Wennberg is also a pending-UFA, while waiver claim Eeli Tolvanen can become an RFA.

21. Tampa Bay Lightning (18-16-5) Eight years after Steven Stamkos and the Lightning went down to the wire in contract negotiations, Tampa’s captain is once again hurtling toward free agency, and kicked off training camp by expressing disappointment in the lack of extension talks. We’ll see if one of my 2024 bold predictions comes to pass.

22. Minnesota Wild (16-16-4) Minny did a nice bit of business right before the season by inking Mats Zuccarello to an extension that will keep him off the 2024 open market. One wonders if we’re witnessing the final months of Marc-Andre Fleury’s fantastic NHL career, as his contract expires on July 1.

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23. Calgary Flames (16-16-5) You know the drill: Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev are all UFA-eligible in a matter of months, and there’s a world where all three are gone by the March 8 deadline.

24. St. Louis Blues (18-17-1) There’s not much in the way of big negotiations ahead in St. Louis. It would seem safe to assume the cap hits of Kasperi Kapanen ($3.2 million) and Marco Scandella ($3.3 million) will be off the books next fall.

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25. Montreal Canadiens (16-16-5) The Habs answered a big question earlier this season by agreeing to a three-year contract extension with Sam Montembeault that prevented him entering the open market this summer. Sean Monahan is on a one-year deal and while the expectation is that he’ll be moved ahead of the deadline, he has been a fantastic fit with this young club.

26. Detroit Red Wings (18-16-4) We know Steve Yzerman is a hold-the-line negotiator, so we’ll see where things go with pending-RFA Moritz Seider. Patrick Kane, of course, will become a UFA again on July 1, as will veteran goal scorer David Perron. Goalie James Reimer has performed well on a one-year deal in Detroit. Will his time there end before the trade deadline?

27. Buffalo Sabres (15-19-4) It feels safe to say Casey Mittelstadt has become a 65-point guy, and the 25-year-old is due for a new deal as an RFA. With the Sabres well out of the playoff picture, perhaps pending-UFA Victor Olofsson gets moved to a team that believes he can rediscover his 25-goal touch. Captain Kyle Okposo is playing on a one-year deal and will turn 36 in April.

28. Columbus Blue Jackets (12-19-8) Sophomore Russian Kirill Marchenko has shown real goal-scoring potential and the 2018 second-rounder can become an RFA in the summer. Things haven’t gone great in the past season-and-a-half for the Ohio boy Jack Roslovic and he can walk as a UFA this summer, if not before as part of a trade.

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29. Ottawa Senators (14-19-0) One of the few good things about Ottawa’s scene is that the young guns have already been taken care of. We’ll see if the Sens want to go around again with Vladimir Tarasenko — who inked a one-year deal last summer — and if they can work out something long-term with Jakob Chychrun before he enters a walk year next fall.

30. Anaheim Ducks (13-23-1) Adam Henrique is in the final year of his deal and the veteran centre is surely on multiple teams’ trade radar. The same can likely be said of hardnosed D-man and pending-UFA Ilya Lyubushkin. Long-time Duck Jakob Silfverberg has cratered, with just one goal this year. His sizable $5.25-million hit will evaporate this summer.

31. Chicago Blackhawks (11-24-2) The only players Chicago has signed beyond the next year-and-a-half are Connor Bedard, Connor Murphy, Kevin Korchinksi and Seth Jones. Might the team bring back veteran Nick Foligno — who has been a nice fit — on another one-year deal? Forward Jason Dickinson and goalie Peter Mrazek are pending-UFAs who could attract some trade interest.

32. San Jose Sharks (9-26-3) Pending-UFA forwards Anthony Duclair, Mike Hoffman, Kevin Labanc and Alexander Barabanov could all stir some measure of tire-kicking before the trade deadline. Goalie Kaapo Kahkonen is also on an expiring deal and might prompt a team in need to take a flyer.

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