5 NHL Restricted Free Agents Teams Should Send an Offer Sheet to in the Offseason
Let's talk about some restricted free agent offer-sheet possibilities.
Now, I already know what you are probably thinking. "What's the point? Nobody ever signs offer sheets!"
Well, if you are thinking that you are not entirely wrong. They are incredibly rare. Only 10 have been signed during the salary-cap era and almost all of them have been matched by the team that controls the restricted free agent in question.
The only two in the cap era that were not matched were Dustin Penner going from Anaheim to Edmonton, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi going from Montreal to Carolina.
But just because they are not typically signed doesn't mean they shouldn't be. It should, in theory, be a great way to add an in-their-prime player that could be a key building block for years to come. There is typically more talent available on the RFA market than on the UFA market, the players are younger, and they have more prime years ahead of them.
It also doesn't mean teams don't try because there is always a chance that offers get made that the player ultimately rejects for one reason or another.
The key is finding a player that wants to play for your team, and also coming from a team that might not have the salary cap flexibility to match the offer. So it might not always be about the best restricted free agent players, but good players on teams that are vulnerable.
This year's potential crop of restricted free agents isn't overly impressive in terms of huge names or superstars, but there are some intriguing -- and really good -- players out there that could be had in the right situation.
So let's take a look at some of them.
Seth Jarvis and Martin Necas, Carolina Hurricanes
1 of 4
Two of the potential options are teammates in Carolina, Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis.
The Hurricanes have actually been involved in the past two offer sheet situations in the NHL, needing to match Montreal's offer for Sebastian Aho and then successfully signing Jesperi Kotkaniemi away from the Canadiens as revenge for the previous offer.
They could be vulnerable this offseason.
While the Hurricanes do have a significant amount of salary-cap space (nearly $30 million) they have several players that will need to sign a lot of holes to fill.
Not only are Necas and Jarvis extremely productive (they are the second and third-leading scorers on a Hurricanes team that is a legitimate Stanley Cup contender and one of the best teams in the NHL), but they are both RFAs this offseason and in line for new deals. They will be pricey.
But those are not the only contract situations Carolina has to worry about.
Forwards Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, Jordan Martinook and Stefan Noesen are unrestricted free agents, while they also have to replace most of their defense as Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei, Tony DeAngelo and Jalen Chatfield are all set to be unrestricted free agents.
That is a lot of talent to replace and a lot of money that will have to be spent. That $29 million will disappear quickly. A team in need of a top-line scorer, salary-cap space to work with, and is not worried about spending future first-round picks would be wise to at least inquire about one (or both) of these players.
Kaapo Kakko, New York Rangers
2 of 4
Kakko has not become the star the Rangers were hoping he would be when they selected him No. 2 overall in the NHL Draft, but he is the exact type of player that teams should look at as a potential RFA.
While his traditional box-score numbers are nothing that jumps off the page, he is a very good player who does a lot of small and hidden things well that do not always show up on the stat sheet. He plays a tough game, he is a strong two-way presence and possession driver, and in the right situation, there might still be a chance for him to break out offensively a little more than he already. has.
Even with some of his flaws, he is still a 15-20 goal player despite not getting a primary offensive role with the Rangers.
The Rangers only have 16 players under contract for next season and have just $12 million in salary cap space. Defensemen Ryan Lindgren and Braden Schneider are also restricted free agents while they have a handful of UFA spots to fill. That lack of salary cap space and a list of needs to fill could make it difficult to match a potential offer sheet for a player like Kakko.
It doesn't need to be a huge offer, but Kakko is good enough to probably warrant an offer in the $4 million to $6.5 million range. That might be difficult for the Rangers to match, and could only require a team to give up either a second-round pick or a first-and third-round pick depending on the exact price of the offer.
He is not a star. But he is the type of player who does enough things to make any line he is a part of better.
Casey Mittelstadt, Colorado Avalanche
3 of 4
The Avalanche had a major need for a second-line center the past two seasons and attempted to address that at the trade deadline by sending defenseman Bowen Byram to the Buffalo Sabres in a one-for-one trade for Casey Mittelstadt. It was one of the most intriguing hockey trades at the deadline where a major Stanley Cup contender (Colorado) dealt from a position of strength on its NHL roster to fill a position of weakness.
Mittelstadt has been a nice addition in Colorado and is having a career year offensively and in the short-term is exactly what they need.
In the long term, things might get complicated.
The Avalanche have only 12 players under contract for the 2024-25 season and have only $10 million in salary-cap space to work with for the remainder of their roster.
Defenseman Devon Toews has a new contract extension kicking in, captain Gabriel Landeskog should be back after missing the past two seasons, and they will have nine pending unrestricted free agents to either re-sign or replace.
That does not even get into the possibility of perhaps needing to upgrade in goal.
That is a lot of work to do, and re-signing MIttelstadt could get tricky if they do not deal away some money somewhere else on the roster.
As usual, there are not many good center options available in free agency on the UFA market and Mittelstadt could be an intriguing option. Anything around $8.5 million would likely require first, second and third-round pick compensation. Mittelstadt's next deal should come in under that, and the Avalanche might have trouble matching that given their current salary cap situation.
.png?w=256 "NHL Mock Draft")
.jpg?w=256 "Kucherov Landing Spots")
Filip Hronek, Vancouver Canucks
4 of 4
The Vancouver Canucks shocked some people at the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline when they acquired defenseman Filip Hronek from the Detroit Red Wings even though they were not in a playoff spot -- or even close to one.
Well, no one is questioning it now as the Canucks are headed to the playoffs in 2023-24 with Hronek playing a big role in that turnaround. He has 47 points in 76 games entering play on Saturday and has also been a great possession driver with a shot-attempt share of over 54 percent.
Hronek is set to become a restricted free agent after this season and that could make him an attractive player and the Canucks a potentially vulnerable team.
Vancouver has just 12 players under contract for next season and only $25 million to fill out the remainder of its roster. Elias Pettersson's new long-term contract kicks in while they only have two NHL defensemen under contract. Hronek figures to be a top priority, but if his big year offensively increases his price tag the Canucks could be facing a tough negotiation and perhaps a situation where a defense-needy team swoops in.
The UFA market for defensemen is not particularly deep, and Hronek's ability to push play and distribute the puck could make him a realistic option. At least, it should make him a realistic option.
.png?w=480 "NHL Mock Draft")
.jpg?w=480 "Kucherov Landing Spots")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
