NHL Rumors: Agent Predicts Lack of a 'Big Market' for Top 2020 Free Agents

Some of the NHL's top teams may need to prepare to stand pat with their rosters this summer depending on the salary cap.

The league is predicted to either keep the cap flat at $81.5 million in 2020-21 or raise it by $1 million, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli, who noted that may force some of the offseason's marquee free agents to look elsewhere for new deals.

As one anonymous agent told Seravalli:

"There's not going to be a big market for top UFAs. Teams like St. Louis and Tampa Bay—they have no available cap space. It's the bottom feeders that will have the most money to spend, but they usually aren't attractive to top free agents, and their owners don't like to spend dumb money anyway. How many teams are going to be able to give you what you want? So many players are kicking themselves, wishing they had signed last year."

According to Spotrac, seven teams will enter the offseason with less than $1 million in cap space—including the Washington Capitals, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Islanders. The Pittsburgh Penguins, Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights will all have between $2 million and $3 million.

That seemingly eliminates a number of top teams from going after elite pending free agents like Alex Pietrangelo, Braden Holtby, Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Alex Galchenyuk, Torey Krug and Mikko Rantanen.

It could have the effect of creating even more parity in a league that's become known for it.

"It's going to be a true frenzy," one agent told Servailli. "The idea of taking summer vacation and having a second wave of free agency won't happen. It's going to be a quick transition, signings for three or four days, then a quick transition to salary arbitration and expedited hearings. And then boom, right into the next season."

There are, however, a few teams who could benefit from prime destinations unable to hand out large contracts. The New Jersey Devils ($18.5 million) and Chicago Blackhawks ($17.25 million) have the most salary-cap space, per Spotrac, followed by the Los Angeles Kings ($14.8 million) and Detroit Red Wings ($13.3 million).

Unless top free agents are willing to take bridge deals—like the two-year, $12 million deal Artemi Panarin signed with the Blackhawks in 2016 before he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2017—marquee free agents will have to decide between long-term security for less money, or a shorter contract that pays more.

NHL free agency is scheduled to kick off on July 1. When it does, Seravalli expects the market will look vastly different than what it's become the norm in recent years.