What do a 115-point playmaker, a 42-goal sniper, a Conn Smythe Trophy winner and a Hart Trophy finalist have in common? Johnny Gaudreau, Filip Forsberg, Evgeni Malkin and Claude Giroux make up a 2022 NHL free-agent class loaded with firepower.
That’s if they all make it to market when the free-agent signing period opens on July 13. It’s certainly possible that Gaudreau, Forsberg and Malkin all remain with their current clubs.
The Calgary Flames are in the process of putting the full court press on Gaudreau, the top pending free agent available this summer. Gaudreau, 28, is coming off an incredible contract year with new highs in goals (40), assists (75) and points (115) and could become one of the few career point-per-game players in NHL history to be open for bidding.
“Pedal down,” is how we’re told the Flames are approaching this exclusive negotiating window with Gaudreau, hoping to lock him up long-term with their built-in advantage of being the only team able to offer an eight-year contract. That advantage expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on July 12.
Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators have picked up negotiations again with play-and pace-driving winger Forsberg, who hit 42 goals this season. The Preds will likely want Forsberg to fall in line below Roman Josi’s team-high $9.059 million salary cap hit. Will that be enough to keep him? Forsberg certainly seemed to take a long look around Bridgestone Arena after Nashville was swept in Round 1 by Colorado, leaving it up to the interpretation that he knew then it’s possible he played his last game as a Pred.
Similarly, the Pittsburgh Penguins have continued to go back-and-forth with their top pending free agents in Malkin and Kris Letang, after getting Bryan Rust inked to a new extension. They do not appear to be close to the finish line on any one of those deals — and also have Evan Rodrigues, the 29th-ranked UFA, and pending RFA Kasperi Kapanen to wrangle.
While there is no shortage of offensive talent available on the free-agent market this summer, what seems to be missing is defensive prowess — particularly if Letang doesn’t make it to market.
Aside from John Klingberg (No. 4), if Letang is off the market, that leaves Colorado’s Josh Manson (No. 18), Florida’s Ben Chiarot (No. 27) and Edmonton’s Brett Kulak (No. 32) as the top blueliners available. Kulak was a strong deadline addition for the Oilers and is a candidate to re-sign there, though Manson and Chiarot have had their moments where they’ve struggled with their new teams.
In other words, if teams need to improve on the back end, the best course of action or acquisition might be on the trade front.
With just over six weeks away, here is Daily Faceoff’s first Top 50 Free Agents ranking of the summer, which uses sourced information and market intelligence to blend a list that factors in both potential impact and total potential dollars earned:
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