It’s been more than a week since the NHL transfer market opened, but several well-known hockey players and even stars remain without a contract. Among them are those who are in restricted free agent status: that is, those who received contract offers from their teams before July 1, but have not yet accepted them. Here are the top 10 OCAs this offseason.
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Alex Debrinkat (Ottawa), 25
Statistics last season: 82 games, 66 (27+39) points
Cap reach in previous contract: $6.4 million
A curious and confusing story for “Ottawa” and the American Debrinkat, the club’s fourth goalscorer last season. According to press reports, the forward demanded a qualified offer of 9 million dollars from the Senators, but the club hoped to reduce it by 15% and finally went to arbitration. If Ottawa wins the case, Debrinkat’s salary will drop to $7.65 million.
In any case, the union of the team from the capital of Canada and the striker should not last. That’s why Ottawa wants to sign Debrinkat for the right money to facilitate the later trade of the forward, who has already stated that he doesn’t want to sign a long-term contract with the Senators. At the same time, journalist Stephen Rosner wrote that everything goes so that after the Debrinkat trade, Ottawa can sign Vladimir Tarasenko.
At the same time, insider Darren Dreger points out that the striker himself values himself more than the market. And if the hockey player’s agent still does not find clubs that satisfy his requests after the Ottawa trade (it is clear that then the Senators will sign the contract themselves and immediately trade the player), then Debrinkat will have to conclude an agreement on the terms “Senators”, and a year later, when the salary cap in the NHL grows significantly, try again to find a new team.
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Trevor Zegras (Anaheim), 22
Statistics last season: 81 games, 65 (23+42) points
Cap Reach in Previous Contract: $925,000
Troy Terry (Anaheim), 25
Statistics last season: 70 games, 61 (23+38) points
Cap reach in previous contract: $1.45 million
After the first market day, Anaheim remained the only club in the NHL that was below the minimum wage. However, the explanation for this is simple: the Ducks have yet to sign new contracts with last season’s top two scorers, Terry and Zegras, around whom a bright future for the organization must be built. At the same time, qualifying offers were made to both players in Anaheim, but have yet to be accepted.
Both hockey players are claiming contracts capped in the region of $6-8 million, but only the older Terry had the right to request arbitration. Which, by the way, he did, but it’s likely the Ducks can deal with him before the hearings start.
trevor zegras
Photo: www.nhl.com
Vince Dunn (Seattle), 26
Statistics last season: 81 games, 64 (14+50) points
Cap reach in previous contract: $4 million
Vince Dunn, who at 26 had a great season in Seattle, also asked for the referee’s help. The defenseman, who had never scored more than 35 points in the NHL before, nearly doubled his performance, becoming the Krakens’ No. 2 scorer and top assister.
There was information that after such a season, Dunn asks for a double salary increase. In principle, Seattle can afford it, on the other hand, the Krakens adhere to a policy of moderate salaries in the team, and now there are no players on the list who earn at least $6 million a year. Well, Dunn, having only played one tournament at the highest level, is definitely not a guaranteed good choice to invest a lot of money. Suddenly it was just a flash and the hockey player will stop progressing?
Hence, in fact, the arbitration.
Alexi Lafreniere (Rangers), 21
Statistics last season: 81 games, 39 (16+23) points
Cap Reach in Previous Contract: $925,000
K’Andre Miller (Rangers), 23
Statistics last season: 79 games, 43 (9+34) points
Cap Reach in Previous Contract: $925,000
Lafrenière is a suitcase without a handle for Rangers. The No. 1 draft pick in 2020 spent three years on a rookie contract without reaching any decent standards, and now the Blueshirts need to give him a new adult contract. In a good way, the Rangers need to either trade the striker or develop him, giving him more playing time. But the problem is that the positions of the left wingers in the top 6 are occupied by the expensive Panarin and Kreider, and in other places Lafrenière is not effective at all. Trading Alexi for a New York club means signing a failure, moreover, the club is probably afraid that Lafrenière will progress in a new place, and then the Rangers will look absolutely stupid.
To do? The club denies that there is talk of the exchange of the striker, but Laf has not yet accepted the authorization of the Blueshirts. Perhaps the situation will be resolved with a small bridging contract, and this will be Alexi’s last chance on Broadway.
Alexi Lafreniere
Photo: www.nhl.com
But Miller deserved his first big full contract. The defenseman, who isn’t even a part of the Rangers’ No. 1 special team, has progressed year-over-year in his first three NHL seasons, and last season he was in the top 9 scorers in even lineups among defensive players in the NHL. the whole league. . K’Andra, in a good way, is entitled to a decent salary increase, but the player can also meet the Rangers halfway and sign a bridge contract, so that in some seasons, when the salary cap in the NHL increase significantly, you will already sign a long-term and “fat” agreement. But while Miller and the Rangers haven’t shaken hands, the defender still doesn’t have the right to go to arbitration.
Evan Bouchard (Edmonton), 23
Statistics last season: 82 games, 40 (8+32) points
Cap hit on previous contract: $863.3k
Edmonton’s first-round pick, after several years of development in the youth leagues, the AHL and even on a European loan, spent two solid seasons in a row with the Oilers, as well as a solid 2023 postseason, where he became the No. more important part of the explosive majority of tankers. Bouchard is a classic attacking defender who is lethal on the other’s blue line but often makes mistakes on defense, but Edmonton needs this hockey player.
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And now, according to insider Friedman, the Oilers are talking to Evan about a two-year contract and $3.5-4 million in salary cap, which in the NHL goes up a teaspoon per hour.
Gabriel Vilardi (Winnipeg), 23 years old
Stats last season: Los Angeles, 63 games, 41 (23 goals, 18 assists)
Cap Reach on Prior Contract: $825,000
On the eve of the market opening, Vilardi was in the company of the Los Angeles players who were traded by the Kings to Winnipeg for Dubois. In the field of “kings”, Gabriel had a good season, the best of his career so far, but the 40+ points were not enough for California to think about maneuvering under the club’s tight salary cap for Vilardi.
From the Pacific coast, the striker went to the harsh Manitoba, but from a financial and gaming point of view, this is a more profitable option for Vilardi. “Winnipeg” enters a restructuring, says goodbye to the leaders of previous years and has the opportunity to give the striker the contract he deserves. True, now the arbitration will probably have to determine its details, where Vilardi has already appeared.
Ilya Samsonov (Toronto), 26 years old
Stats from last season: 42 games, 27 wins, 2.33 KN and 91.9% OB
Cap reach in previous contract: $1.8 million
In Toronto, perhaps, they would be happy to give Samsonov a good contract with better conditions, but with the salary cap, the Leafs have been a complete disaster for several years. A lot of money goes to the salaries of the Matthews – Tavares – Marner trio, and in 2020, the “leaves” managed to saddle up a difficult contract for the perennially injured Murray.
Samsonov outplayed the Canadian at his position, but right now the Leafs don’t have a chance to appreciate Ilya’s contribution to last season’s relative success, when Toronto crossed the first-round barrier of the playoffs for the first time in many years. The Russian goalkeeper went to arbitration, but even there there are almost no chances to knock out a decent contract. In his entire NHL career, Samsonov has never made more than $2 million a year, so the referee simply has no reason to make Ilya happy with significantly larger numbers.
The situation is in Toronto’s favor, but Samsonov, perhaps, needs to accept the club’s terms, continue to work hard and hang in there. In the organization of the “leaves” Ilya has already come into his own, and in a couple of years, when at least some salary order and balance will come to the Maple Leafs, Samsonov will definitely be financially grateful. The still unstable and unreliable Russian in the NHL still has no better options.
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Jeremy Sweiman (Boston), 24 years old
Stats last season: 37 games, 24 wins, NR 2.27 and 92% OB
Cap Reach in Previous Contract: $925,000
The goaltender, whom Boston dug up in the fourth round of the draft six years ago, has become part of the Bruins’ record-breaking, wacky regular season. Sveiman spent just under half of the season’s games, but rightfully shared with new Vezina owner Linus Ullmark the Jennings Trophy, an award for the club’s NHL goaltending team that missed the fewest goals. in 82 games.
jeremy swaiman
Photo: www.nhl.com
Sveiman is Boston’s prospect, he’s their future, although Ullmark isn’t old yet, but it’s always better to have setbacks. The Bruins have an opportunity to give Jeremy a contract for $2-3 million a year, but so far the parties have not agreed and the matter may go to arbitration, where the goalie has already applied.
