NHL Free Agents 2020: Predictions for Torey Krug, Top Defensemen

Each year on July 1, the NHL is usually still busy celebrating its newest Stanley Cup champion, while fans of teams who didn't go all the way have already turned their attentions to the newly minted free agents their teams might sign.

This year, of course, nothing is business as usual as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to delay the league year and looms over attempts to return to play. On Friday, owners and players agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement that will allow them to resume the 2019-20 season with a 24-team playoff beginning Aug. 1.

As for free agency, however, it will be delayed until the fall to accommodate the late playoff push. Per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, player contracts will be extended until Oct. 31.

Let's take a look at the top defensemen slated to hit the market in October and make some predictions about where they'll land.

Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

It seems hard to believe the Blues would let their captain and one of the instrumental cogs in their first Stanley Cup win (who scored the series-winning goal) walk in free agency.

But agreeing to a deal that doesn't encumber the Blues' finances while giving Alex Pietrangelo the salary he has proved he deserves isn't going to come easy for these two sides.

The 30-year-old's expiring contract has a $6.5 million cap hit, and Friedman predicts that St. Louis would give the two-time All-Star $8 million annually but not $9 million.

With both sides agreeing to push talks until the end of the season, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong has been busy shoring up his blue line by signing Justin Faulk ($6.5 million) and Marco Scandella ($3.275 million). He insists, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, those signings won't affect a deal with Pietrangelo: "Our goal is to try and get Petro signed. We were gonna need a player like Marco, with or without Petro. And now we have that done but we still want to sign Petro."

An $8 million average salary would put Pietrangelo in the tier of fellow defensemen John Carlson and Brent Burns, but he may see himself closer to a P.K. Subban ($9 million).

Before the regular season ended, Pietrangelo was just two points away from notching his career high of 54. The player St. Louis drafted No. 4 overall in 2008 has followed up his Stanley Cup win with a stellar season, and the Blues, who have the eighth-most cap space in the league, should figure out how to use it to retain their captain.

Prediction: Blues make it work and re-sign Pietrangelo.

Torey Krug, Boston Bruins

A talented two-way defenseman with a team-friendly cap hit of $5.25 million, Torey Krug is a key component of a Bruins team that is historically known for its stellar blue-line play.

But that future doesn't exist if the Bruins can't get a deal done with him.

Krug has made his desire to remain in Boston crystal-clear to both general manager Don Sweeney and fans. "We named our dog Fenway. How much more Boston can you get?" Krug cracked when asked about his future in April, per Conor Ryan of Boston Sports Journal.

But the two sides haven't made any progress, and now Krug acknowledges he'll "probably have to prepare for free agency," per The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa.

Krug led all defensemen this season in power-play points, with 28. He recognizes his value and, according to Shinzawa, he "would like something resembling" the seven-year, $53.025 million deal Jared Spurgeon signed with Minnesota last September.

But in order to find out what will happen in his future come the fall, the 28-year-old realizes there's not much he can do at this point.

"In terms of what's going on with the Bruins and everything else, that's probably a question for someone else," Krug said, per Shinzawa.

The new CBA, which Krug, as one of the Bruins' NHLPA representatives, helped negotiate, gives the Bruins the flexibility they need to get something done. It leaves the Bruins with approximately $16 million to work with, per Shinzawa.

But the Bruins have other looming contract extensions in key players like Brandon Carlo (2021), Charlie McAvoy (2022) and David Pastrnak (2023), not to mention young defensive talent waiting in the wings. Ultimately, for Krug to remain in Boston, he'll likely have to value stability for his family and remaining part of the Bruins' leadership core over making Spurgeon money.

Prediction: Krug re-signs on a team-friendly deal.

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Tyson Barrie, Toronto Maple Leafs

It seems all but certain that Tyson Barrie won't be pulling on a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey next season. 

Barrie's name was flying around the rumor mill up until the final hour before the NHL trade deadline in February as general manager Kyle Dubas attempted to shop him. Ultimately, however, Dubas didn't get what he was looking for and shelved the issue for the time being. 

"Because of the way things have gone, I felt it was at least good practice to listen and start to envision what the return would look like from our end," Dubas said after the deadline, per Sportsnet's Chris Johnston. 

"The way things have gone" include a rash of injuries to Maple Leafs defensemen that hamstrung Dubas' attempts to move Barrie and a rocky start to Barrie's Leafs tenure under Mike Babcock before current head coach Sheldon Keefe figured out how to best use him. 

Now, however, it looks unlikely that the Leafs will even have the cap space to entertain re-signing Barrie, whom they acquired from the Colorado Avalanche via trade last summer, which is splitting his salary with Toronto.

Prediction: Barrie signs with a new team in free agency.

Salary-cap and average salary figures via Spotrac.