No arbitration, no urgency.<\/p>\n
With all the NHL\u2019s arbitration-eligible restricted free agents reaching resolution with their respective clubs prior to a hearing, only nine RFA cases remain unsolved into the first week of August.<\/p>\n
A few of these young players without contracts can make the argument for big money and a long-term commitment, but most will be negotiating bridge contracts and still must prove themselves worthy of a major payday.<\/p>\n
And here is the latest scuttlebutt circulating the nine RFAs (minimum 10 NHL games played in 2024-25) still without contract, ranked in order of awesomeness.<\/p>\n
Does anyone dare not report to training camp next month in an attempt to flip pressure onto their rights-holding team?<\/p>\n
Age:\u00a021
Position:\u00a0Defence
2024-25 salary cap hit:\u00a0$925,000<\/p>\n
New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald\u2019s top priority at the outset of the off-season remains that way into August: Get Hughes locked up at a team-friendly rate.<\/p>\n
The Devils did just that with Hughes\u2019 older brother, Jack, and a great long-term comparable for Luke emerged when fellow 2024 Calder Trophy finalist Brock Faber re-upped in Minnesota for eight years at $8.5 million per season.<\/p>\n
Such a deal would elevate Luke’s salary over Jack’s $8 million, which is excellent value against a spiking salary cap.<\/p>\n
Luke missed the first few weeks of his platform campaign rehabbing his shoulder but rebounded strongly and stepped up down the stretch with injuries to Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler.<\/p>\n
Bridging the young defenceman at, say, $5.5 million per season, could save money now but set the Devils up for a monster bill when Hughes approaches UFA status and the cap has gone through the roof.<\/p>\n
The smart money says buy big now, and the vibes were positive in July.<\/p>\n
\u201cI talked to his agent (on July 1). We said, \u2018Let\u2019s enjoy the holiday weekend, and we\u2019ll start talking after,\u2019\u201d GM Tom Fitzgerald told reporters<\/a>\u00a0on July 2. \u201cHe\u2019s excited. He wants to be a Devil long-term \u2014 just like his brother. We\u2019re excited about that.<\/p>\n \u201cPlayers want to stay here. They want to be in New Jersey. They want to be part of something we\u2019re creating. The standards are getting higher with each year, which is exciting. I don\u2019t sense anything other than Luke wants to be a Devil for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n Jersey only has roughly $7 million in cap space, which is why veteran names like Ondrej Palat and Hamilton have surfaced in trade speculation.<\/p>\n Age:\u00a023 Sure, Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin is squirming out from the weight of the Ryan Suter and Zach Parise buyout payments, but only to face requests for significant pay bumps from integral forwards.<\/p>\n While Rossi\u2019s raise is a priority, Guerin\u2019s cap planning must begin with locking in team MVP, Kirill Kaprizov, to an eight-figure deal. Kaprizov has been eligible to re-sign since July 1, and locking in his number will help inform how Minnesota allots the rest of its dollars.<\/p>\n Considering Minnesota\u2019s tight budget and other centre prospects coming (Danila Yurov, Riley Heidt), things are getting tricky here.\u00a0<\/p>\n The best route is likely a short-term, kick-the-issue-down-the-road solution. Think something along the lines of Cole Perfetti\u2019s two-year, $6.5-million extension in Winnipeg.<\/p>\n Rossi says he \u201c100 per cent\u201d wishes to stay in Minnesota.<\/p>\n Guerin denied any thoughts of trading Rossi to The Athletic<\/a>\u00a0in late December. He also said there is \u201cno rush at all\u201d to re-sign the improving asset.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very happy with Marco. Oh, my God, yeah,\u201d Guerin said. \u201cJust his pace of play, his engagement every night, he has been one of our best players. I think the biggest thing, too \u2014 and I know this is the hardest thing for young players \u2014 is his consistency.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s one of our better net-front presence guys. And he\u2019s not the biggest guy, but he stands in there and that\u2019s why he\u2019s getting rewarded. All his goals are from 10 feet and less. He\u2019s doing all the right stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n And yet, Rossi\u2019s ice time plummeted in the playoffs (11:18), and trade rumours swirled in mid-June. Guerin\u2019s high price was not met, though.<\/p>\n Citing \u201cleague sources,\u201d The Athletic\u2019s Michael Russo reported<\/a>\u00a0on July 29 that the sides haven\u2019t negotiated since early June.<\/p>\n The next pressure point will be training camp.<\/p>\n Age:\u00a022 The seven-year, $49-million contract Verbeek issued young RFA centre Troy Terry in 2023 might tell us something about the type of deal the Ducks GM may wish to strike with McTavish, the young stud centre lingering on top of his to-do list.<\/p>\n The Terry deal took time to come together, however.<\/p>\n The executive has cap space to play with but is mindful of the number of players he\u2019ll have knocking at his door for raises. He has a track record of patience, playing out situations where he holds the hammer.<\/p>\n That McTavish hasn\u2019t earned arb rights hurts. That he has improved defensively while remaining an offensive threat and reaching a career-high 52 points helps.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing yet. I’m sure it\u2019ll kind of happen as the summer goes on. Obviously, I love it here, and hopefully I can stay here,\u201d McTavish said in mid-April. \u201cThey believe in me. (No numbers, but) I think that’s more between my agent, me, and Pat.\u201d<\/p>\n Verbeek described McTavish as a \u201cvery important\u201d player to the organization on April 19<\/a>\u00a0and said he had already spoken to the player\u2019s agent.<\/p>\n By mid-June, however, no numbers had been exchanged.<\/p>\n The new contracts for pending RFAs J.J. Peterka in Utah and Matthew Knies in Toronto serve as recent comparables for negotiating a mid-term deal here.<\/p>\n Another comparable for McTavish\u2019s next contract could be Quinton Byfield\u2019s recent five-year extension in Los Angeles, which carries a $6.25-million AAV.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re still starting to work on that a little harder now, kind of wanting to get through free agency,\u201d Verbeek told reporters on July 1.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got some time now to really get after it and get both (Dostal and McTavish) under contract.\u201d<\/p>\n Age:\u00a023 General manager Craig Conroy is working his way down his to-do list, already extending more senior RFAs Morgan Frost and Kevin Bahl before drilling down on Zary\u2019s file.<\/p>\n The fit is a nice one, but with Zary taking a step back production-wise from his rookie campaign, short-term might be the wise play this summer.<\/p>\n No huge rush at this point, considering Zary lacks arbitration rights.<\/p>\n “He\u2019s a huge priority for us, and we\u2019re going to get it done. It\u2019s just a matter of when,\u201d Conroy said on July 30. \u201cI know everybody wants it done tomorrow. And probably he does, too, and so do we. But both sides have to come to an agreement where we both feel comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n Though the sides continue to negotiate, progress has been \u201cslow,\u201d according to Conroy.<\/p>\n Age:\u00a023 The promising scorer put up 10 goals and 32 points over a 68-game platform campaign in Nashville but let his modest qualifying offer expire.<\/p>\n Preds GM Barry Trotz refers to Evangelista as part of the club\u2019s future, and the organization must get younger and faster.<\/p>\n \u201cMy agent (Judd Moldaver) and Trotzy have a good relationship. Obviously, something\u2019s gotta get done. I kinda just wanted to focus on my play,\u201d Evangelista told reporters at season\u2019s end. \u201cI\u2019m confident something will get done.\u201d<\/p>\n The sides are in negotiations, but with no arbitration coming, the true pressure point will be training camp.<\/p>\n A bridge deal appears to be the path to a solution.<\/p>\n “We\u2019re just trying to find a term that fits,” Trotz said. \u201cI would like to go longer. The agents are hesitant to go longer on term.\u201d<\/p>\n Age:\u00a023 Primarily a third-pairing defenceman alongside Josh Mahura, the left-shot Evans completed his first season as a Seattle Kraken regular, posting five goals and 20 assists in 70 games.<\/p>\n There is offensive upside and some power-play quarterbacking potential here, and Evans is earning increasingly more trust from the coaching staff.<\/p>\n A bridge deal \u2014 anywhere between one to three years \u2014 is the likely path to resolution here.<\/p>\n Former Kraken D-man Will Borgen\u2019s bridge (two years at a $2.7 million AAV) is a reasonable comparable for Evans.<\/p>\n New GM Jason Botterill prioritized RFA Kaapo Kakko. Now that Kakko is re-signed?<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll certainly get something done with Ryker here in the near future and look forward to having him in training camp,\u201d Botterill told 93.3 KJR<\/a>\u00a0on July 24.<\/p>\n Age:\u00a023 Following a promising 16-goal campaign for the 2023-24 New Jersey Devils \u2014 his first full season as an NHL forward \u2014 Holtz was dealt west to Vegas as part of the Paul Cotter deal that now looks iffy for the Golden Knights.<\/p>\n \u201cWe think that Alexander Holtz has got untapped potential that we feel we can unlock here to some degree with the opportunity,\u201d Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon said at the time.<\/p>\n Well, Holtz got fewer opportunities (53 games with Vegas, 16 down in Henderson) in 2024-25 and only scored four times in the show.<\/p>\n With Holtz turning down his qualifying offer and Vegas pressed for cap space, short term is the only way to go here.<\/p>\n Age:\u00a023 The rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks\u2019 quiet off-season should conclude once GM Kyle Davidson re-signs emerging left-shot defenceman Kaiser, who took strides by spending the majority of his season in the majors (57 games) and scoring four times.<\/p>\n
Position:\u00a0Centre
2024-25 salary cap hit:\u00a0$883,334<\/p>\n
Position:\u00a0Centre
2024-25 salary cap hit:\u00a0$894,167<\/p>\n
Position:\u00a0Centre
2024-25 salary cap hit:\u00a0$863,334<\/p>\n
Position:\u00a0Right wing
2024-25 salary cap hit:\u00a0$797,500<\/p>\n
Position:\u00a0Defence
2024-25 salary cap hit:\u00a0$897,500<\/p>\n
Position:\u00a0Right wing
2024-25 salary cap hit:\u00a0$894,167<\/p>\n
Position:\u00a0Defence
2024-25 salary cap hit:\u00a0$916,667<\/p>\n