NHL Free Agents 2023: Rumors, Predictions for Shayne Gostisbehere, More UFAs
Saturday marks an important date on the NHL offseason calendar. At noon ET, free agency will get underway, with the league's 32 teams being allowed to sign any players who hit the market as unrestricted free agents.
This year's class of UFAs isn't exactly overflowing with top-level talent. But there are still some solid players expected to be available, so teams will have an opportunity to plug holes on their rosters with potentially impactful signings.
Which players will be joining new teams? Who could be returning to their previous franchises? The moves should pick up quickly Saturday.
Here's some of latest buzz regarding numerous players set to become unrestricted free agents, along with predictions for where each will end up.
Could Gostisbehere Be Heading to Florida?
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If Shayne Gostisbehere returns to the Carolina Hurricanes, it'll be after he becomes an unrestricted free agent. His agent, Marc Levine, told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun that Gostisbehere will hit the market Saturday rather than re-signing prior to that point.
It seems there's a good chance Gostisbehere could be heading for a new team, too. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Florida Panthers are looking to add a puck-moving defenseman and Gostisbehere "appears to be on their radar."
Gostisbehere, a nine-year NHL veteran, didn't have a long stint with the Hurricanes, so he doesn't have a lot of ties to the franchise. He was traded from the Arizona Coyotes to Carolina on March 1, and then he played 23 regular-season games and 15 postseason contests with his new team.
The Panthers have legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations heading into the 2023-24 season, so Gostisbehere should have interest if the team pursues him. So don't be surprised if Florida becomes the fourth team the 30-year-old has played for during his NHL tenure.
Prediction: Gostisbehere signs with Panthers
Will Sharks Work out Deal with Blackwood?
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After spending his first five NHL seasons with the New Jersey Devils, Mackenzie Blackwood was traded on Tuesday. The 26-year-old goaltender was dealt to the San Jose Sharks, beginning a new chapter of his career. It could also be a short one.
Blackwood is a restricted free agent, so what San Jose acquired were the rights to negotiate with him. If the two sides didn't work out a deal, then he'd become an unrestricted free agent. And according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, that may just happen.
"Sharks and Blackwood were not seeing eye-to-eye just yet on contract negotiations after the trade," Seravalli tweeted. "Entirely possible he hits the open market on Saturday."
San Jose should find a way to retain Blackwood, as it's clear the team had interest in him by trading for his RFA rights. He could become a valuable player in the net for the Sharks, and as long as the contract makes sense, he might want to suit up for them.
Prediction: Blackwood signs with Sharks
Canucks Looking to Add Defensemen
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What are the Vancouver Canucks looking to add this offseason? Multiple defensemen, according to Pagnotta. And the team appears to already have its sights set on one particular player to provide a boost on the blue line.
Per Pagnotta, one player on Vancouver's radar is Justin Holl. The 31-year-old is coming off a season in which he appeared in a career-high 80 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs, tallying two goals and 16 assists in the process.
Holl has spent his entire six-year NHL career in Toronto, so perhaps it's time for a fresh start with a new team. The Canucks could be a good fit, as they're a team that could end a three-year postseason drought by plugging the right holes on their roster.
Of course, it'll come down to the contract negotiations. But the prediction here is that Holl becomes the first defenseman to sign with Vancouver this offseason.
Prediction: Holl signs with Canucks
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