6 NHL Restricted Free Agents That Could Get an Offer Sheet
As the Stanley Cup Playoffs wind down, the anticipation for the offseason grows stronger. Even though unrestricted free agents get all the attention, restricted free agents provide a lot more ability for us to let our, and potentially rival general managers', imaginations run wild.
There's always a taboo nature to restricted free agents in the NHL, and the threat of payback from another GM for signing a player to an offer sheet seems to scare them more than anything else. But this year's class of RFAs is genuinely intriguing. Even though a guy like Chicago's Connor Bedard is one and would see his offer matched instantly, there are plenty of players who, if they signed an offer sheet, would make for a fascinating discussion.
Those are the kinds of players we'll be taking a look at today. Intriguing and plausible are the words we're working with today but most of all, players who will generate the kind of interest that might make another team's GM go boldly.
Simon Nemec, New Jersey Devils
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The New Jersey Devils have a new GM in Sunny Mehta, and while he's been busy cleaning house, he'll also have a big decision to make on young defenseman Simon Nemec as well.
Nemec is a restricted free agent, and although the sky is the limit for his talent, it's been tough for him to crack through the Devils' lineup regularly. The Devils are already looking pressed up against the cap next year, which makes Nemec a prime target for an offer sheet. It also puts him high on the list of players who could be traded as well, but one thing at a time, OK?
Nemec is 22 years old and a right-handed shooting defenseman, which makes him beyond tantalizing for other GMs around the league. No doubt the easiest way to try and acquire him would be to make a trade, but the really sneaky way to do it is to risk some draft picks and make an offer Nemec can't pass up in an offer sheet.
Pavel Dorofeyev, Vegas Golden Knights
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One of the most dangerous goal scorers the Vegas Golden Knights have had the past couple of seasons is Pavel Dorofeyev. Last season, he put up 35 goals and followed that with 37 this season. He currently leads the playoffs with 10 goals, and all of that means is he'll see a monster payday this summer, either from Vegas or someone else looking to take advantage of the Golden Knights being up against the cap.
Dorofeyev's evolution into a clutch goal scorer has been huge for Vegas, not just getting Vegas to the Western Conference Final, but also putting Vegas up 2-0 on Colorado already. His shot and his nose for the net make him a threat any time he's on the ice, and that kind of ability is what GMs everywhere crave.
Although Vegas operates ruthlessly, already having over $100 million committed to next year's cap puts them in a vulnerable position to be poached. After all, 30-plus goal scorers don't usually hit the open market, especially ones who are 25 years old, and if another team wants to make a splash (and a forever enemy out of Vegas management), signing Dorofeyev to an offer sheet makes all the sense in the world.
Alexander Nikishin, Carolina Hurricanes
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The Hurricanes are notorious for being involved in offer sheets, both in using them and being the focus of another team's desires. They're poised not to have too much stress this offseason, but with defenseman Alexander Nikishin set to be an RFA and due for a raise, it sets up the possibility that another team could target him.
Nikishin had 33 points in 81 games this season and averaged over 18 minutes a game on the Hurricanes' blue line, and while he's yet to register a point in the playoffs, it's his ability to move the puck and lay the body that stands out in his game.
Carolina doesn't have a lot of internal work to do on their roster this summer, as Nikishin is the one RFA that stands out (Frederik Andersen is an impending UFA), and with just a bit over $90 million committed to the roster, it should be able to take care of business easily. However, after watching the 'Canes and Canadiens do battle off the ice in previous years, you wonder if other teams might want to mix it up with an offer sheet as well.
Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars
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Arguably, the biggest player who could be had via offer sheet this summer is Jason Robertson. We've known his contract was coming to an end for over a year now, and after the season he had, the cost of re-signing him only went up.
The Stars want to keep Robertson, without a doubt. He's a big-time goal scorer (45), and his 96 points led the team in scoring. On top of his offensive prowess, he's also an outstanding defender, and he's a dream player for every team in the league to think about acquiring.
If the Stars and Robertson can't get a contract worked out, a trade would seem most likely, but any team in the NHL with the first-round picks to sacrifice would likely be happy to burn them to sign Robertson to an offer sheet. The kind of money Robertson would require is north of $10 million per year at the absolute minimum, and even that probably won't get it done.
We haven't seen that kind of offer sheet signed in ages, but with Robertson's skill level, production, and age (he turns 27 in July), it'd be a no-brainer to make that kind of attempt to land a superstar player.
Zach Benson, Buffalo Sabres
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The Buffalo Sabres run in the playoffs was an exciting one for a few reasons, but watching pest-in-the-making Zach Benson become an instant cult hero in Western New York was part of the fun. What might not be so fun for Sabres fans is seeing another team swoop in and steal him away.
Benson had a career-high 43 points (in 65 games) in the regular season and had five goals and four assists in 13 playoff games. He's an RFA this summer, and while the Sabres aren't hard up against the cap just yet, if they re-sign star forward Alex Tuch to a big contract, they'll run out of comfortable space quickly.
The Sabres have around $13 million in cap space for next season, and a new Tuch contract would eat up a large percentage of that and leave RFAs like Benson and Peyton Krebs vulnerable to being poached.
The catch for opposing GMs when it comes to Benson, however, is the way Sabres GM Jarmo Kekäläinen gushed about his play after the season. He sounded like someone very eager to lock Benson up long-term, and any team signing him to an offer sheet would almost certainly help him match that deal to get it done. That said, if another team really wants to put Kekäläinen and the Sabres in a tough spot, making him do just that would accomplish it.
Kirby Dach, Montréal Canadiens
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The Canadiens roaring into the Eastern Conference Final has been thrilling to watch, and one of the sneaky key players to getting there has been forward Kirby Dach. He also might be the kind of player a sneaky GM might target for an offer sheet, too.
We've seen the Canadiens be active using (and being subject to) offer sheets in the past, but they've got more than $90 million committed to the cap next season, and with Dach set to be an RFA this summer, a team seeking a big-bodied forward who can score could stress the Habs out by signing him.
Dach has had injury issues throughout his career and had them again this season. In 37 games he had 15 points, but he's got four goal and an assist in the postseason and has looked every bit the part of what teams like to see from a power forward.
Working in the Canadiens' favor to keep him, however, is their cap situation isn't stressed out completely if they allow Patrik Laine to walk in free agency and Dach's injury past might make him too much of a risk for another GM to make a bold move to sign him.
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