Every NHL Team's Most Important Free-Agent-to-Be in 2016-17
The NHL preseason is soon coming to a close, and teams are paring down their rosters for the 2016-17 season.
Some franchises are still looking to sign players who are holding out for new deals, others are considering extensions for next year's batch of potential free agents.
There are some big names set to become unrestricted, like the bearded Joe Thornton (above). Many others are going to be restricted free agents looking for much bigger contracts, which could affect their team's salary cap structure and force decisions to be made in other areas of the roster.
We'll pore over every NHL team's current contracts looking for the most important potential free agent on all 30 teams, looking at their expiring contract, last season's stats, their value to their team and potential next deal. As always, share your opinion in the comments section below.
Anaheim Ducks: Ryan Garbutt
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Ryan Garbutt split time with the Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks last year, scoring seven goals and 14 points in 70 games while earning $1.8 million in salary.
Value to his team: In all honesty, the Ducks' current restricted free agents—Hampus Lindholm and Rickard Rakell—are critical pieces and will bump Garbutt easily should they ink one-year deals.
But as for the current crop of players with expiring deals, Garbutt is the most important because of the role he plays as a bottom-six forward expected to energize his teammates.
Potential new contract: Garbutt will be an unrestricted free agent, but his skills as a pest and enforcer are not the type that earn much attention these days without better scoring stats.
If he can put together numbers more in line with his time with the Dallas Stars, he could earn another deal similar to the one he's playing out now.
Arizona Coyotes: Shane Doan
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Arizona Coyotes captain Shane Doan signed a one-year deal worth about $3.88 million for this season after a 28-goal, 47-point season last year.
Value to his team: Although he turns 40 this month, Doan has shown he's still got the ability to score. More importantly, he is the kind of leader by example a team turning more and more responsibility over to much younger players needs.
With a dedication to his work and an emotional evenness, he is still the heart of the franchise, and the team will want the identity he represents to live on once he is gone.
Potential new contract: Doan may not be able to flirt with 30 goals again, but if he can produce another 20 and land between 40 and 50 points, he might earn another deal somewhere around the $3.5-million mark. He's on a year-to-year basis similar to Jaromir Jagr of the Florida Panthers.
Boston Bruins: Ryan Spooner
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Center Ryan Spooner is in the final year of his entry-level deal with the Boston Bruins, collecting $950,000 for the season. He is coming off his first full NHL season, in which he scored 13 goals and 49 points in 80 games.
Value to his team: Spooner can suit up as a left-winger or at his natural center position, giving the Bruins plenty of options for the lineup on any given night. The 24-year-old had a breakout last year and is a big part of the team's future along with winger David Pastrnak.
For now, Spooner could be a top-six winger or third-line center with enough talent around him to give the Bruins three deadly scoring lines. He is the future at center behind Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.
Potential new contract: The Florida Panthers gave Vincent Trocheck a six-year deal worth $4.75 million this summer after he posted similar numbers to Spooner last season.
If Spooner picks up where he left off last year, he could find himself in that same range. If he pushes his numbers higher, the playmaker could see as much as $5 million on a long-term deal. He may also face a bridge contract for a little less money over a couple of years if he regresses.
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Buffalo Sabres: Dmitry Kulikov
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: This is the last season of a three-year deal worth $4.33 million annually that Dmitry Kulikov signed with the Florida Panthers. He's about to enter his first year with the Buffalo Sabres after an offseason trade. The 25-year-old had one goal and 17 points in 74 games with the Panthers last season.
Value to his team: Kulikov hasn't produced the same offensive numbers in recent years the way he did in his first few seasons in the NHL, but he has developed into a strong two-way player who remains a strong skater and puck-mover.
His addition fortifies the Sabres' blue line beyond Rasmus Ristolainen—currently an RFA himself—and Zach Bogosian. His age and skill level could translate into a big year with the rebuilding club.
Potential new contract: His salary could be boosted significantly if the impending unrestricted free agent has a career year and then hits the open market. At worst, it would likely stay in the $4.5-million range barring a disastrous performance with his new team.
If the Sabres attempt to lock him up early, he'd be looking for at least a modest raise—although both agent and team will likely wait a little to see how he plays early in the season before talking terms.
Calgary Flames: Sam Bennett
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Sam Bennett is in the final year of his entry-level deal that pays him $925,000 annually. He had a decent rookie season last year with 18 goals and 36 points in 77 NHL games.
Value to his team: As much value as impending UFA Brian Elliott has, there will be plenty of goaltending options available before the expansion draft, making Elliott a little less important than, say, a gritty young center who has shown flashes of brilliance in his rookie year and gives the Flames great depth down the middle this preseason.
Bennett has immense offensive skill and a competitive edge that makes him a prime candidate for a massive breakout this year.
Potential new contract: If things go well, he could be in a solid bargaining position much like Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau this summer.
Although he will likely have to take less term and dollars barring a point-per-game type campaign, he should avoid the typical bridge deal and land a few years at more than $4 million per season as a starting point as an RFA. The salary cap could be a major factor in what the team is able to accommodate.
Carolina Hurricanes: Teuvo Teravainen
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Former Chicago Blackhawks prospect Teuvo Teravainen is in the last year of his entry-level deal, making an average of just under $900,000 over the term. He had 13 goals and 35 points in 78 games last year—his first full season in the NHL.
Value to his team: The Carolina Hurricanes have made efforts to grow the young core, and the trade with the Blackhawks to bring in Teravainen was a key deal. The 22-year-old center can also play on the wing and will likely have ample opportunity to prove he can be a consistent scorer and playmaker.
He was a solid assists man in Finland before coming to North America and has the potential to quickly become a 15-goal and 35-point player the Canes are in great need of.
Potential new contract: If he hovers around 40 points, Teravainen may get some sort of bridge deal for a couple of years at a reasonable salary of around $2.5 million annually for his potential alone.
If he can net 50, though, he may get the Victor Rask treatment. The Swede signed a six-year deal worth $4 million a season this summer thanks to three years of continual improvement, marked by a 21-goal, 48-point year in 2015-16.
Chicago Blackhawks: Artemi Panarin
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Artemi Panarin won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year for his 30 goals and 77 points in 80 games with the Chicago Blackhawks last season. He will finish his two-year rookie deal this campaign, making a paltry $925,000 in base salary.
Value to his team: It helps when you play with a guy like Patrick Kane, the league's runaway scoring leader last year, but Panarin did not disappoint in his first year in North America after kicking some tail in the KHL for the better part of a decade as a teenager and in his early 20s.
The slick Russian was a steal for the Hawks, who have had to part ways with a great depth of talent over the years because of salary-cap constraints. He is as good a playmaker as he is a sniper.
Potential new contract: Even though he will only be a restricted free agent, Panarin will have arbitration rights and because of the Blackhawks' precarious salary-cap total and no big contracts scheduled to drop off the books, they may have to (yet again) trade away another big-ticket paycheck in order to fit a big raise in for the 24-year-old.
A year anywhere near what he had last year would put him in line to land him a long-term and fat-dollar contract in the range of six years and $40 million.
Colorado Avalanche: Jarome Iginla
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Jarome Iginla signed a three-year deal on his birthday in 2014 because he believed he would have a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup by the time his contract expired.
The $5.33 million annual cap hit could come off the books after this year. The 39-year-old had 22 goals and 47 points last season—the worst totals Iginla has had in a non-lockout season since 1998.
Value to his team: Iginla is a consistent 20-goal scorer with the potential for 30 even in his advanced age thanks to a deadly one-timer and quick release from high-traffic areas.
He is a key veteran presence on a team made up mostly by 20-somethings who have yet to prove they can be winners together. The former NHL captain's future will determine the direction the team is heading this offseason.
Potential new contract: Iginla's time to rake in cash is over, but if he wants a chance to compete for a Stanley Cup, he could look for a one-year deal in the range of $2.5-$4 million depending on how this year turns out for him offensively.
If he fails to crack 20, he may be done in the league. If he hits 25 or more, he could be at the top end of that range or even exceed it if a team values his leadership skills as well.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Alexander Wennberg
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Alexander Wennberg is going into the final year of his entry-level deal, which pays him an annual average of $925,000. The 22-year-old missed time with a concussion and a foot injury but finished with eight goals and 40 points in 69 games last season.
Value to his team: For a team in need of someone to fill the top center role, Wennberg is a promising candidate. He has been hurried into a key role in the middle thanks to injuries and the departure of former top pivot Ryan Johansen, but Wennberg has handled it in his stride so far.
If not for injuries of his own, he may have flirted with a 50-point season, heavily weighted with assists. He's a crucial young member of the team's core.
Potential new contract: As a restricted free agent this summer, Wennberg will have little leverage aside from what he produces this year statistically. He has no arbitration rights and as Johnny Gaudreau is now discovering (per Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun) with the Calgary Flames, teams have more control, with a holdout the only ploy a player in that position has.
That doesn't mean Wennberg can't get paid well, though. Some teams are giving out nice contracts with lengthy term and decent dollars ($4 million range) to young players showing improvement and upside over a couple seasons.
Dallas Stars: Johnny Oduya
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Johnny Oduya is heading into the second and final year of the deal he signed with the Dallas Stars as an unrestricted free agent, earning $3.75 million.
His first campaign in Texas saw him post his best offensive numbers in a few years with four goals and 21 points in 82 games.
Value to his team: There are others, like scoring winger Patrick Sharp, but Oduya was a calming presence on the Stars blue line last season, playing more shorthanded minutes than any other defenseman on the squad and forming a responsible tandem alongside Jason Demers.
The penalty kill improved from 19th in 2014-15 to 10th in the league last year after Oduya's signing. He is a stabilizing defensive force on a team that takes a lot of offensive risks.
Potential new contract: Whether he re-signs with the Stars during the season or hits the unrestricted free-agent market again this summer, Oduya should earn a similar deal to the one he inked last July.
The 35-year-old won't find much in the way of term, but the dollar figure upward of $3.5 million is likely as an annual average for a year or two.
Detroit Red Wings: Tomas Tatar
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Winger Tomas Tatar is entering the third year of a bridge deal he signed with the Detroit Red Wings before the 2014-15 season. He finished with 21 goals and 45 points in 81 regular-season games and three assists in five playoff contests.
Value to his team: Pavel Datsyuk has moved on to the KHL and Henrik Zetterberg's play is in decline. The Red Wings are in need of their young players taking over the top roles, and Tatar is one of those who has begun to do so.
In his two seasons since signing his latest deal, he has 50 goals and 101 points in 163 games. He is an important part of the team's future and finished fourth on the team in points last year after leading the way in goals and finishing third in total points the previous season.
Potential new contract: The impending restricted free agent has arbitration rights when his deal expires, which should mean a big raise if he continues to progress. It might be tough for the Wings to work out a deal that fits under the cap without moving out a big salary.
Tatar could be worth between $4 million and $5 million per season with at least a few years of term.
Edmonton Oilers: Leon Draisaitl
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Leon Draisaitl's rookie deal comes to an end after this year. He'll earn $925,000 in base salary this season after a breakout 19-goal, 51-point effort in 71 NHL games. He was called up from the minors after an injury to Edmonton Oilers freshman phenom Connor McDavid early in the year.
Value to his team: Big and skilled, the 20-year-old gives the Oilers great center depth, with McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins forming a formidable top trio down the middle.
He can also play the wing if another worthy center earns a role. He's a hard-worker with a tremendous skill set and a big body who can dish out and withstand some physical punishment.
Potential new contract: If Draisaitl can produce similar averages to last year over a full season (and McDavid can also remain healthy), the young German could flirt with 60 points next year. That would command a significant pay raise, even though Draisaitl has no big bargaining chip like arbitration.
A 20-goal year with 50-60 points could bring in a $4.5 million- or $5 million-plus deal.
Florida Panthers: Jaromir Jagr
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: The ageless Jaromir Jagr will play out his second consecutive one-year deal with the Florida Panther this season after putting up 27 goals and 66 points in 79 games in 2015-16.
Value to his team: A team loaded with young stars in the making feeds off what Jagr provides even at 44 years of age.
The veteran has a tireless work ethic off the ice and a mental approach that makes him all but impossible to rattle. He has mentored linemates Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau among others, and helped them realize their potential. All the while, his production is actually on the rise since his NHL return.
Potential new contract: Since he doesn't want to commit to more than one year at a time, the next deal will likely be the seventh straight single-season contract he signs.
The dollar figure has ranged from $2 million to $4 million, and he'll likely be somewhere in the $3.5 million to $4.5 million range in base pay if he has another strong year statistically.
Los Angeles Kings: Tyler Toffoli
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Tyler Toffoli is in the second and final year of a bridge deal with the Los Angeles Kings, with a $3.25 million annual average. The 24-year-old set career highs with 31 goals and 51 points in 82 games last year.
Value to his team: The Kings had just four 20-goal scorers last season, and only Toffoli hit 30.
He has great chemistry with Jeff Carter, and for a team lacking much in the way of offensively gifted prospects or roster players in their early 20s, Toffoli is a key piece of the team's hopes to transition well as the veterans decline in skill.
Potential new contract: If Toffoli can score another 30 goals and total somewhere around 60 points, he could be a $6 million player on his next deal just as Boston Bruins sniper Brad Marchand did recently.
He'll become a restricted free agent if he doesn't ink an extension but has arbitration rights, so he will be getting a big raise.
Minnesota Wild: Mikael Granlund
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Mikael Granlund is in the second of a two-year deal worth an average of $3 million. He had a career high in goals with 13 and in points with 44 in 82 games last season.
Value to his team: Granlund and Nino Niederreiter are both important pending RFA players for the Wild to lock up, but Granlund's contract is key in terms of what direction the team is moving with the talented but so far disappointing young player.
The center set career marks last year, but his grooming as a top center is going more slowly than hoped—leading to the signing of UFA Eric Staal in the offseason. The Wild needs the 24-year-old to fulfill his potential to climb in the scoring department.
Potential new contract: A 50-point season will help Granlund get a raise from his current salary. That kind of production got the Florida Panthers' Reilly Smith a five-year deal worth $25 million over the term.
Anything less than that from the playmaking center will likely land him something in the $4 million range from the team and perhaps a bit more if it goes to arbitration.
Montreal Canadiens: Alex Galchenyuk
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Alex Galchenyuk's bridge deal looks to have worked in his favor. In the first season of a two-year deal worth $2.8 million, the young center scored 30 goals and 56 points, including 22 total points over the final 22 contests.
Value to his team: Galchenyuk was drafted third overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2012 in the hopes he would turn into a top-line center. He finally did that late last season while promoted to the middle alongside Max Pacioretty.
Things went well as Galchenyuk and the team's top sniper meshed down the stretch.
Potential new contract: Filip Forsberg cashed in a 30-goal and 60-point season with a six-year, $36 million deal with the Nashville Predators.
Galchenyuk should command the same if he's able to pick up where he left off last year. In fact, if he keeps the point-per-game pace up, he will make closer to $7 million a season on a long-term deal.
Nashville Predators: Ryan Johansen
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: In the second of a three-year deal he signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Ryan Johansen scored 14 goals and 60 points while splitting his season with the Jackets and Nashville Predators. He'll make $6 million in salary this year but the AAV is $3 million.
Value to his team: The Preds paid a hefty price to bring Johansen over, parting ways with defenseman Seth Jones.
Johansen had six goals and 26 points in 38 games as a member of the Predators but has been a 70-point player in the past, and the team will anticipate he will become one again in his first full season with them.
Potential new contract: The 24-year-old has already established himself as an elite playmaker. Barring a complete disaster of a season, Johansen will likely get a long-term extension worth upward of $7 million.
New Jersey Devils: Beau Bennett
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Beau Bennett signed a one-year deal with the New Jersey Devils this summer after the Pittsburgh Penguins traded the restricted free agent's rights.
He had six goals and 12 points in 33 games with the Pens last season, which was shortened by injury.
Value to his team: Given the way Bennett has played so far this preseason on a line with Taylor Hall and Adam Henrique, the fresh start with the new club could be just what he needed.
If the strong, capable power winger is able to stay healthy, his presence among the top-six forward group could also be just what the Devils need after a season in which they finished dead last in goals scored per game.
Potential new contract: Bennett has so much potential, but the 24-year-old has been a victim of many different injuries over the past few years and hasn't really gotten his NHL career going.
If this is the year of his breakthrough, he may be able to get a few years of term and $2.5 million or more as a bit of a bridge deal.
New York Islanders: Thomas Greiss
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Thomas Greiss is entering the last year of a two-season deal worth $1.5 million annual average.
He played in 41 games and started 38 games, going 23-11-4 with a .925 save percentage in the regular season, then went 5-6 in the playoffs with a .923 save percentage.
Value to his team: The goaltender played so well last season, he proved he is more than just a capable backup. He helped the Islanders into the second round of the playoffs when Jaroslav Halak was hurt.
He gives the team a great tandem that allows them flexibility—a platoon to keep them both fresh and healthy, insurance if one gets hurt, and the ability to make a deal to improve in another area. The latter may be the most likely if the team believes they will lose a goalie in the expansion draft.
Potential new contract: Detroit Red Wings goalie Petr Mrazek's $4 million salary in his new deal is a nice comparable. He shares the crease with Jimmy Howard but has earned the right to start in his own right.
If Greiss hits the open market and another team covets him as a starter, he could make anywhere from $4.5 million to $5 million per season, although the term would likely be short because he is 30.
New York Rangers: Mika Zibanejad
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Mika Zibanejad's two-year contract with the Ottawa Senators is set to expire after this season. He'll earn $3.25 million but the cap hit is $2.625 million.
The 23-year-old center had 21 goals and 51 points in 82 games last season, with a minus-two rating and 189 shots.
Value to his team: Zibanejad was swapped for former New York Rangers center Derick Brassard and has big skates to fill in the Big Apple. He's a key part of the top-six group and will serve as the man in the middle of one of the top two lines, helping the group get younger at the position.
Potential new contract: A big breakout season could take place with the Rangers, and his compensation will be equally large if it comes to fruition.
A 60-point season with at least 20 goals isn't out of the question, which could translate into a $5.5 million to $6-million paycheck every season for the next handful. He has arbitration as a negotiating chip as well.
Ottawa Senators: Jean-Gabriel Pageau
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: A breakout season last year saw Jean-Gabriel Pageau net 19 goals and 43 points. He enters the third and final year of his current contract, which pays an average of $900,000.
Value to his team: Pageau may only be a third-line center, but he gives the Ottawa Senators great depth down the middle and the potential to mix up the top-nine forwards for the most potent combinations on any given night.
The skilled but diminutive forward has found his niche with his hometown Sens.
Potential new contract: Pageau will be a restricted free agent next summer and should be cashing in with a significant raise if he can have another successful season.
Back-to-back 40-point seasons in the NHL translate into contracts worth as much as $4 million with a few committed years of term.
Philadelphia Flyers: Shayne Gostisbehere
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Calder Trophy runner-up Shayne Gostisbehere enters the last year of his rookie contract on the heels of a stellar season.
He scored 17 goals and 46 points in just 64 games after being called up from the AHL. His current deal is worth an AAV of $925,000.
Value to his team: Gostisbehere is the future of the Philadelphia Flyers defense. He's the power-play quarterback and a threat to score every time he's on the ice.
Only five NHL blue liners scored more goals than Gostisbehere last season—and they did so with more games played. The Flyers have a few key players set to come off the books but none as instrumental to their future success as the 23-year-old.
Potential new contract: The team could let impending UFAs like Mark Streit and Michael Del Zotto walk in order to come up with the kind of money it will take to lock up the restricted free agent to be long term.
The team is close to the cap and Gostisbehere is going to command a very large paycheck—maybe as much as $7 million—if he can produce at the same pace over a full season and prove last year wasn't a one-off.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Matthew Murray
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Matthew Murray is entering the last year of his entry-level deal, collecting an annual average of $620,000.
The Pittsburgh Penguins rookie had a 9-2-1 record, .930 save percentage and 2.00 goals-against average in the regular season, followed by a 15-6-2 playoff record with a 2.08 GAA and .923 save percentage.
Value to his team: Murray could have been the playoff MVP for his performance in the Stanley Cup playoffs last year en route to the championship.
He is the goaltender of the future for the Penguins and makes Marc-Andre Fleury a nice bargaining chip on the trade market. When he's all recovered from his World Cup injury, that is.
Potential new contract: Murray's sample size is small so far, so a bridge deal for the restricted free agent is likely what will be pursued by the team, but it will still cost them at least $4 million per season over a couple of years at minimum.
Things get complicated with the expansion draft, with Fleury's no-trade clause making it necessary for him to waive his right to remain protected—with only one goalie safe.
San Jose Sharks: Joe Thornton
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Joe Thornton had a remarkable year with 19 goals and 82 points in 82 games. He is finishing off a three-year deal that pays him an average of $6.75 million.
Value to his team: The Sharks take their collective cue from the cool-as-ice former skipper even though he no longer wears the captain's letter. Thornton has shown he still has the wheels to keep up and the same stellar vision that has made him one of the best playmakers in the league for more than a decade.
He's a key part of their ability to get back to the Stanley Cup Final. He gets the edge over fellow bearded one, Brent Burns, by virtue of the depth of the Sharks defense if they were to lose him.
Potential new contract: If Thornton is a point-per-game player for a second straight year, even at the age of 37, he should land himself a raise and cross the $7 million threshold once again.
He may take a little less to remain with the Sharks on an extension if the team is successful in the playoffs again.
St. Louis Blues: Kevin Shattenkirk
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: As his four-year deal comes to an end, Kevin Shattenkirk will cost the St. Louis Blues $4.25 million against the salary cap, and the 27-year-old defenseman will collect $5.2 million in salary. Last season, he had 14 goals and 44 points in 72 games.
Value to his team: Shattenkirk has given the Blues one of the deepest blue lines for the past three seasons, eclipsing 40 points every year even when missing significant time because of injury in the past couple. He is a big part of the power play, scoring more than half his points on the man advantage last year.
The Blues were a middle-of-the-pack power-play team before Shattenkirk came along, then jumped to ninth, fourth and sixth the past three seasons.
Potential new contract: Teams will be lining up to ink Shattenkirk to a long-term deal when he makes it to the unrestricted market next summer. Even if the Blues trade him, he has an opportunity to test the waters and pick his next location in a few months' time.
His true value may be more in the $6 million range, but he's going to find himself north of $7 million on the open market.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Jonathan Drouin
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Jonathan Drouin goes into the third year of his entry-level contract worth an average of less than $900,000 on the heels of an up-and-down campaign that involved plenty of drama.
He scored four goals and 10 points in just 21 regular-season games but was much better in the playoffs with five goals and 14 points in 17 postseason contests.
Value to his team: The Tampa Bay Lightning need an effective Drouin to take scoring pressure off the Tyler Johnson line and have the luxury of mixing up the combinations and playing Steven Stamkos at center.
If he plays the way he did in the playoffs as opposed to the regular-season full of distractions—including a midseason departure from his AHL assignment—he should have a breakout year.
Drouin may also be an important piece of Stamkos' future productivity. The captain could use a spark after a down year by his standards.
Potential new contract: Teammates Ondrej Palat and Johnson, who will also become RFAs next summer, were both given bridge deals worth an average of $3.33 million per season when their entry-level deals expired. They also both reached the 50-point mark in those contract seasons.
Drouin's stats will determine whether he gets a similar offer or a higher one. His playoff performance suggested he has the talent that could lead to a 60-point campaign.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Milan Michalek
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Milan Michalek was struggling with the Ottawa Senators before a trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs seemed to rejuvenate the veteran.
He finished the year with seven goals and 16 points in 45 games but had six points in 13 games as a Leaf.
Value to his team: Michalek was much improved with the Leafs down the stretch and then had a solid World Cup performance with Team Czech Republic. He was part of the return in the Dion Phaneuf trade in part for his mentorship ability and his history as a 20-goal scorer.
The Leafs don't have many important players heading toward free agency, but Michalek qualifies because of what he brings as a presence on an increasingly young team.
Potential new contract: The 31-year-old winger might be in Antoine Vermette and Radim Vrbata territory when it comes to his next contract.
He is younger than both of those players but will have to rebound significantly and stay fairly healthy in order to earn himself another NHL deal worth something between $1 million and $2 million a year for one or two seasons.
Vancouver Canucks: Ben Hutton
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Ben Hutton had a strong rookie season with the Vancouver Canucks, putting together 25 points while averaging nearly 20 minutes of ice time a night. His two-year deal pays him an average of a little less than $900,000 a year.
Value to his team: Hutton was a top-four defenseman last season, and his role will be even more critical this season with the departure of Dan Hamhuis. The 23-year-old lefty is a key piece of that Canucks back end for the future.
Potential new contract: Given the deals promising young defensemen with similar statistics have earned recently (such as Dmitri Orlov, Cody Ceci and Matt Dumba) Hutton can expect something in the range of $2.5 million to $3 million if he puts up similar numbers.
If he pushes forward and cracks 30-35 points or more that will climb up to $4 million quickly.
Washington Capitals: Evgeny Kuznetsov
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Entering the second and final year of a bridge deal that pays him an average of $3 million, Evgeny Kuznetsov is coming off a breakout season. He scored 20 goals and had 77 points in 82 games for the Washington Capitals.
Value to his team: Even with names like T.J. Oshie and Justin Williams set to become unrestricted free agents, the argument begins and ends with center Kuznetsov.
One half of the team's dynamic center duo, the 24-year-old playmaker was a huge part of the Capitals' success last season and as important as Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Braden Holtby. He led the team in points last year.
Potential new contract: It's going to be big, unless he backslides in a massive way. The team will probably aim for something similar to Backstrom's $6.7 million cap hit, and Kuznetsov's agent will strive for something closer to Ovechkin's $9.5 million. Landing in the middle of those two would be a good bet.
Winnipeg Jets: Connor Hellebuyck
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Contract and 2015-16 stats: Connor Hellebuyck got his first NHL action in the second year of his three-year entry-level contract, starting 26 games and going 13-11-1 with a .918 save percentage and 2.34 goals-against average.
Value to his team: The Jets are in need of some stable netminding. Ondrej Pavelec has been extremely inconsistent over the years, and the most promise they've seen has been from backups like Michael Hutchinson and Hellebuyck in smaller sample sizes.
After making the playoffs two years ago, they fell out of the picture last season thanks in part to the league's ninth worst goals-against average. Hellebuyck's numbers were far superior to his fellow Jets netminders.
Potential new contract: The impending restricted free agent's next deal will depend heavily on this year's performance and whether he takes a top role in Winnipeg.
As a top prospect, even if he doesn't land the top job this year, he will be groomed for a future as the starter and will make a couple of million annually on his next deal if he has similar success when he gets his opportunities to start.
Statistics via NHL.com. Salary information courtesy of GeneralFanager.com.
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