Kraken, Maple Leafs Face Toughest RFA Challenges

This is a pivotal week for restricted free agents in the NHL. Arbitration hearings are set to begin, meaning organizations are under the clock to get a deal done before the hearing or be forced to deal with whatever decision the arbitrator gives. The pressure often breeds agreement, as many players who elect arbitration never wind up making it to their hearings. Let's check in on the top remaining restricted free agents and where things stand.

Kaapo Kakko - Seattle Kraken

Kaapo Kakko is the biggest name currently awaiting his salary arbitration hearing. He looked like a strong fit with the Kraken after they acquired him from the New York Rangers. In 49 games with Seattle, he netted 10 goals and finished with 30 points. That's a 50-point pace over a full season.

His previous cap hit was $2.4 million, and he's due a raise. The question of how big a raise is likely why this negotiation has drawn out so long. The clock is ticking, but the Kraken have over $10 million in salary cap space, so they have plenty of flexibility to finalize a deal.

Mason McTavish - Anaheim Ducks

If anyone is going to break the bank or make headlines in then remaining offseason window, it's Mason McTavish. He remains a candidate to be offer sheeted if another team wants to make a run at the talented center. He's coming off a career-high 22 goals and 30 assists for 52 points, following up on two straight 40+ point seasons. It appears he's still improving at 22 years old, and he could become a top center in the right situation.

The Ducks have been busy this offseason, but still have their biggest piece of business remaining. With over $20 million in cap space, the question is likely how long will this next contract be. Is it a bridge deal for two to three years or a long-term commitment for seven or eight?

Nicolas Robertson - Toronto Maple Leafs

Another player slated to reach his arbitration hearing, the Maple Leafs and Robertson have been on a collision course the past few seasons. He scored 15 goals last year after moving up and down the lineup and occasionally being out of it. The season before he registered 14 goals. He made less than $1 million last year, and the Leafs have roughly $2.9 million in remaining cap space.

Connor Zary - Calgary Flames

The fact that this isn't done already is a bit strange. Flames' General Manager Craig Conroy has done a commendable job of signing many of his young players recently, yet Zary remains contract-less.

What makes this more difficult is he's coming off an entry-level contract and has been plagued with injuries. There's plenty of comparable players to look to for comparable deals, but what's most likely is he lands somewhere between Ryan Lomberg's $2 million annual average value and Morgan Frost's $4.375 million salary. Split the difference and call it around $3.3 to $3.7 million and you've got a deal.