Aug 25, 2015
NHL free agent class of 2016 strong
While Mark Giordano's extension with the Calgary Flames removes arguably the best defenceman from the potential unrestricted free agent crop of next summer, the free agent class of 2016 is still a deep one. With Steven Stamkos, Anze Kopitar and Brent Seabrook among the names potentially available, here's a look at who could be ready to sign next July 1.
TSN.ca Staff
With Mark Giordano signing a six-year, $40.5 million extension with the Calgary Flames, the 2016 NHL free agent market lost arguably its best available unrestricted defenceman.
Fears of a dearth of signing activity come July 1 are unfounded, though, considering that the crop of players set to become free agents next summer is still a strong one.
To wit, here is a look at the some of the top players who are set to become unrestricted free agents on Canada Day, 2016.
2016 POTENTIAL NHL UFAs
| Player | Position | Age (July 2016) | Current Team | 2015-16 Salary Cap Hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steven Stamkos | C | 26 | Tampa Bay Lightning | $7,500,000 |
| Anze Kopitar | C | 28 | Los Angeles Kings | $6,800,000 |
| Dustin Byfuglien | D | 31 | Winnipeg Jets | $5,200,000 |
| David Backes | C | 32 | St. Louis Blues | $4,500,000 |
| Eric Staal | C | 31 | Carolina Hurricanes | $8,250,000 |
| Brent Seabrook | D | 31 | Chicago Blackhawks | $5,800,000 |
| Kyle Okposo | RW | 28 | New York Islanders | $2,800,000 |
| Tomas Plekanec | C | 33 | Montreal Canadiens | $5,000,000 |
| Andrew Ladd | LW | 30 | Winnipeg Jets | $4,400,000 |
| Cam Ward | G | 32 | Carolina Hurricanes | $6,300,000 |
| Milan Lucic | LW | 28 | Los Angeles Kings | $6,000,000 |
| Brian Campbell | D | 37 | Florida Panthers | $7,142,875 |
| Keith Yandle | D | 29 | New York Rangers | $5,250,000 |
| Erik Johnson | D | 28 | Colorado Avalanche | $3,750,000 |
Other notables: Jaromir Jagr (FLA), Shane Doan (PHX), Dan Hamhuis (VAN), Luke Schenn (PHI), James Reimer (TOR), Loui Eriksson (BOS), Justin Abdelkader (DET), Radim Vrbata (VAN) and Paul Gaustad (NAS).
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There will also be a plethora of restricted free agents available a summer from now. While offer sheets are a rarity in today's NHL, there are more than a couple of names available who might entice general managers into making an exception.
2016 NHL POTENTIAL RFAs
| Player | Position | Age (July 2016) | Current Team | 2015-16 Salary Cap Hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nathan MacKinnon | RW | 20 | Colorado Avalanche | $900,000 |
| Johnny Gaudreau | LW | 22 | Calgary Flames | $900,000 |
| Seth Jones | D | 21 | Nashville Predators | $925,000 |
| Brayden Schenn | LW | 24 | Philadelphia Flyers | $2,500,000 |
| Danny DeKeyser | D | 26 | Detroit Red Wings | $2,187,000 |
| Frederik Andersen | G | 26 | Anaheim Ducks | $1,150,000 |
| Tomas Hertl | RW | 22 | San Jose Sharks | $925,000 |
| Sean Monahan | C | 21 | Calgary Flames | $925,000 |
| Olli Maatta | D | 21 | Pittsburgh Penguins | $894,167 |
| Morgan Rielly | D | 22 | Toronto Maple Leafs | $894,167 |
| Mark Scheifele | C | 23 | Winnipeg Jets | $863,333 |
| Nazem Kadri | C | 25 | Toronto Maple Leafs | $4,100,000 |
| Justin Schultz | D | 25 | Edmonton Oilers | $3,900,000 |
| Erik Gudbranson | D | 24 | Florida Panthers | $2,500,000 |
Other Notables: Chris Kreider (NYR), Jaden Schwartz (STL), Alex Killorn (TB), Jacob Trouba (WPG), Andrew Shaw (CHI), Kyle Palmieri (NJ), Aleksander Barkov (FLA), Zemgus Girgensons (BUF), Hampus Lindholm (ANA) and Ryan Murray (CBJ)