NHL Free Agents 2019: Latest Buzz on Jake Gardiner, Micheal Ferland, More

More than a week into NHL free agency, defenseman Jake Gardiner and forward Micheal Ferland are among the top players still looking for homes.

Only three of the top 20 unrestricted free agents as ranked by The Athletic's Craig Custance remain unsigned: Gardiner, Ferland and Ryan Dzingel. And with nothing appearing imminent on any of those fronts, it may still be some time before deals get done.

Below is a look at the latest buzz surrounding some of the top names on the market.

Jake Gardiner

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Gardiner's track record speaks for itself.

From 2014 to 2018, Gardiner's points total increased each season, capped off by a career-high 52 points. He also registered a positive plus-minus rating in three consecutive seasons, averaging a plus-17 during that span.

He was plus-19 in 62 games last season, with three goals and 27 assists.

A back injury shelved the 29-year-old for much of the final five weeks of the campaign. Prior to last season, though, he had made 79-plus appearances in five consecutive seasons.

Unfortunately for Gardiner, his eight-year run with the Toronto Maple Leafs may be over. Toronto does not have much wiggle room in terms of salary-cap space, and with Mitch Marner in line for a nice payday, Gardiner—who just completed a five-year, $20.25 million deal—may have to move on.

According to NHL Network's E.J. Hradek, teams have yet to offer Gardiner the length and money he is looking for:

Although it's not known exactly why the Minnesota native remains unsigned, his back injury could have teams cautious of a long-term deal.

Even as he remains unsigned, there does appear to be a solid market for Gardiner. TSN's Darren Dreger reported previously reported the left-shooting D-man is "considering a number of different scenarios."

Micheal Ferland

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While there may have been more prolific playmakers on the market earlier in July, Ferland could still provide a boost to a team's offense.

After netting 21 goals in his final year with the Calgary Flames in 2017-18, the first-year Carolina Hurricane scored 17 times last season en route to 40 points. After suffering an upper-body injury during the first round, he had one assist in seven postseason appearances as Carolina made a run to the Eastern Conference Final.

Ferland let it be known in May that he would welcome a return to the Hurricanes. A source reiterated that stance to Custance.

"He really enjoyed his time in Raleigh," the source said. "I know he enjoyed that dressing room."

However, Custance has reported that the two sides are expected to go their separate ways because of the inability to find common ground on salary.

Ryan Dzingel

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Dzingel has topped the 20-goal plateau in back-to-back seasons, but the 27-year-old remains available in free agency.

Looking for an upgrade on the forward line in the hopes of making a playoff push, the Columbus Blue Jackets acquired Dzingel and a seventh-round pick in February from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Anthony Duclair and a pair of second-rounders.

Dzingel tallied four goals and eight assists in 21 regular-season games for Columbus. While the Blue Jackets recorded their first-ever playoff series victory, he managed only one goal in nine postseason games. He was a healthy scratch for a second-round game against the Boston Bruins.

It's not clear what Dzingel's market looks like, though Hradek recently reported that "six or seven teams" were interested:

The only thing that appears to be certain is that he won't be returning to Columbus. According to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline, the Blue Jackets have "no interest" in re-signing Dzingel even after losing Artemi Panarin and Matt Duchene in free agency.

Hradek suggested Dzingel may be looking for a one-year prove-it deal. That way, he could shake off his disappointing stint with the Blue Jackets and earn a nice payday with a strong 2019-20 campaign.