LAS VEGAS – The NHL free agent market opens Monday, and there will be several files to watch.
The action will officially begin at noon ET on Monday, when all players who are currently potential unrestricted free agents will officially become free agents.
The list of players who could be available is filled with big names: Jake Guentzel, Steven Stamkos, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Marchessault, Sam Reinhart and Elias Lindholm.
Here are 10 storylines to watch when the market opens on Monday.
Stamkos will be available
Steven Stamkos’ days with the Tampa Bay Lightning may be numbered.
On Saturday, general manager Julien BriseBois mentioned that everything indicates that the team will not come to an agreement with its long-time captain and the best scorer in its history, and that the plan is for him to become a free agent without compensation Monday.
The Lightning have more space under the salary cap to sign Stamkos after freeing up more than $11 million by trading defenseman Mikhail Sergachev (average annual salary of $8.5 million) to the Utah Hockey Club and forward Tanner Jeannot ($2.665 million) to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. But that doesn’t mean that this wiggle room under the salary cap will be used to bring back Stamkos.
The Lightning want to offer a contract extension to defenseman Victor Hedman. He will be able to do it from Monday. Hedman still has one season left on his contract. And the Lightning could go fishing for big fish on the free agent market, perhaps to get their hands on Guentzel.
Stamkos, who is nearing the end of an eight-year contract worth $68 million (average annual salary of $8.5 million) signed on June 29, 2016 when he was days away from becoming a free agent at that time too, should have no problem finding another team. Interest will be high for the 34-year-old veteran.
He has just scored 81 points, including 40 goals, in 79 games.
Stamkos spent his entire 16-year NHL career with the Lightning and won the Stanley Cup twice. He is also the Lightning leader in games played (1,082), goals (555), points (1,137), even-strength goals (336), even-strength points (707), advantage goals (214), power play points (422), overtime goals (13), game-winning goals (85) and shots (3,332).
Who will get hold of Guentzel?
Guentzel is perhaps the biggest fish in the free agent pond.
The 29-year-old forward has 77 points (30 goals, 47 assists) in 67 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes this season.
The Penguins traded him to Carolina on March 7 and he had 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) in 17 games after the trade, then nine points (four goals, five assists) in 11 playoff games.
The Hurricanes are reportedly interested in re-signing Guentzel, but if he’s available Monday, several teams will be courting him, including the Lightning.
In addition to the Guentzel file, the Hurricanes have a lot of work to do.
They are reportedly trying to trade forward Martin Necas, who could become a restricted free agent on Monday, to give him a fresh start and maximize his value. Additionally, forward Teuvo Teravainen and defensemen Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce will be free agents.
Marchessault and the Golden Knights
Another “Golden Overlooked” could leave Vegas if Jonathan Marchessault and the Golden Knights do not come to an agreement on a new contract before the market opens.
Marchessault, who has been with the Golden Knights since their inaugural season in 2017-18 and won the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy with them last season, is in the final season of a six-year, $30 million contract ($5 million average annual salary) signed with Vegas on Jan. 3, 2018.
The Golden Knights usually do their work discreetly, so we don’t really know if they are close to an agreement with Marchessault. They are reported to be trying, but the lack of wiggle room under the salary cap isn’t helping Vegas.
If the Golden Knights can get around this problem, as they often have before, Marchessault could be back. But this is far from certain.
