Free-agent profile for Pius Suter

The 27-year-old got a late start to his NHL career, only signing with Chicago back in 2020 coming off a stellar season in Switzerland that saw him pot 30 goals in 53 games.  Suter made what looked like a favorable first impression in his rookie campaign, collecting 27 points in 55 contests while finishing 11th in Calder Trophy voting.  However, concerned with a possible arbitration award, the Blackhawks somewhat surprisingly non-tendered him that summer, sending him back to free agency.

His stint on the open market didn’t last long as Suter quickly inked a two-year, $5M deal with Detroit.  He collected 36 points in his first season with the team and while he had a more limited role offensively last season, he still was a decent depth contributor while also taking a regular shift on the penalty kill.  He also showed that he can play on the wing after spending his first two seasons as a full-timer down the middle.

While this isn’t necessarily the most exciting profile, Suter has scored at least 14 goals in each of his first three years, can kill penalties and is a natural center.  That makes his continued presence on the open market at least a little surprising.

Stats

2022-23: 79 GP, 14-10-24, -13 rating, 6 PIMS, 106 shots, 46.8% faceoffs, 45.5% CF, 14:04 ATOI
Career: 216 GP, 43-44-87, -19 rating, 42 PIMS, 384 shots, 46.7% faceoffs, 52.5% CF, 15:44 ATOI

Potential suitors

In theory, Suter is the type of player who could fit in with most organizations.  For deeper win-now teams, he’s at a minimum capable injury insurance with the type of versatility to move up and down the lineup where needed.  For rebuilding squads, he’s the type of player who could suit up a little higher in the lineup to start and is young enough to possibly be around for more than just a year if things went well.

In the East, the Washington Senators stand out as a possible fit, depending on how things go with their pursuit of Vladimir Tarasenko.  If that falls through, they have enough cap room to re-sign Shane Pinto and still have enough for Suter, who would give them some offensive upside in their bottom six.  If Suter winds up settling for a minimum-salary contract, the Boston Bruins stand out as a fit as a team that could certainly benefit from some more depth down the middle.  If the Carolina Hurricanes aren't sold on Jack Drury as a full-timer, the Hurricanes could be a landing spot for Suter as well although it’s likely that some of their other possible dominoes need to fall first to see what space they may or may not have.

Out West, the Seattle Kraken have had some success in their first two seasons with players like this and they certainly have the cap and roster space to add Suter in.  If the Minnesota wild are hesitant about Marco Rossi’s readiness, Suter could represent an insurance policy, basically filling the role that Sam Steel did last season.  The Winnipeg Jets have made an effort to bolster its bottom six this summer but there is still room to improve on that front and Suter’s positional versatility would be beneficial for them.

Projected contract

Suter narrowly missed the cut in our Top 50 UFA rankings last month, slotting in as part of the group of five that landed just outside in our voting.  At this point, the hopes of landing a contract like the one he had in Detroit (with a $2.5M AAV) should basically be dashed.  But there are some teams that could afford a low seven-figure deal for him if he wants to go for top dollar.  Alternatively, if Suter is open to taking less for a more desirable fit, there should be interest from several playoff-caliber teams.  The price tag should be low and there might be a modicum of upside still.  As far as combos go at this time in free agency, that’s certainly not a bad one.