Now that the Stanley Cup has been awarded to the Florida Panthers and the offseason is in full swing, it’s time to look ahead to the frenzy that will be free agency. The salary cap took its first significant jump since the pandemic so there’s expected to be a lot of teams bidding this summer for the top players available. There have been deals ahead of time whether it’s extensions or trades to prepare for July 1st but that’s just an appetizer of what’s to come. Some pretty notable unrestricted free agents have hit the market this year and it’ll be interesting to see where they end up playing in the future.
2024 NHL Unrestricted Free Agents
Sam Reinhart (Right Wing)
It’s not hard to find out why Sam Reinhart is the top unrestricted free agent in the 2024 class. Coming off of back-to-back 30-goal seasons in 2021-2022 and 2022-23, he decided to up his game even more in a significant way. In all 82 games for the Panthers, Reinhart scored an amazing 57 goals with 37 assists for 94 points. What’s even more impressive is his unbelievable special teams play. He led the league in power-play goals with 27 while also scoring five short-handed goals, the second-most in the league. Arguably having one of the best contract years of all time, the 28-year-old winger will get a lot of interest resulting in a big payday.
Update: Re-signed with the Panthers on a eight-year, $69M contract ($8.625 AAV)
Jake Guentzel (Left Wing/Right Wing)
After 7+ years with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jake Guentzel was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes during last season. In 67 games between the two teams, he scored 30 goals and had 47 assists. Eight of them goals and 17 of his assists came in 17 games when he was traded to Carolina. Guentzel is just one of three pending UFAs to average more than a point per game. He’s a dangerous sniper that will be a very valuable asset to have on the ice for any team. Oh, and he also might be better next year coming off of ankle surgery that made him miss some time in 2023-24.
Update: Re-signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning on a seven-year, $63M contract ($9M AAV)
Steven Stamkos (Center)
All signs point to Steven Stamkos hitting free agency for the first time in his career after spending all 16 years with the Tampa Bay Lightning. With Tampa, he is a two-time Stanley Cup Champion, a two-time Rocket Richard winner, and the all-time franchise leader in goals, points, and power-play goals. He scored 40 goals and had 81 points last season to go along with five goals in five playoff games. As shown by the season he had, Stamkos is still playing at an elite level to this point of his career and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Update: Signed a four-year, $32M contract with the Nashville Predators ($8M AAV)
Jonathan Marchessault (Left Wing/Right Wing)
In 2022-23, Jonathan Marchessault helped lead the Vegas Golden Knights to their first Stanley Cup in their short history and won the Conn Smythe in the process. Following that up, he scored 42 goals, which was the first time he reached 40+ in a season. For that performance, Marchessault will be looking at a significant raise for next season and with Vegas’ money situation., it could be for another team.
Update: Signed a five-year, $27,5M contract with the Nashville Predators ($5.5M AAV)
Elias Lindholm (Center)
There’s a lot to like about Elias Lindholm. He’s the best center in free agency with two-way play capability and doesn’t even turn 30 until December. Lindholm was sent to the Vancouver Canucks in a trade during last season from the Calgary Flames. He had a down year last year (15 G, 29 A, 44 pts) compared to what we’ve seen from him but he finished strong in the postseason by posting 10 points in 13 games. There’s reason to believe that Lindholm will have a bounce-back year with whoever snags him on July 1st.
Update: Signed a seven-year, $54.25M contract with the Boston Bruins ($7.75 AAV)
Brandon Montour (Defenseman)
Brandon Montour had the best season of his career in 2022-23 when he scored 16 goals with 57 assists for 73 points. While he didn’t get close to that mark this past season, he was a key component to the Panthers winning the Stanley Cup. Montour scored eight goals and had 25 assists while also having 11 points in 24 playoff games. Being a right-handed shot with the ability to move the puck is what teams covet as a blue-liner. He will be the top free-agent defenseman on the market.
Update: Signed a seven-year, $50M contract with the Seattle Kraken ($7.14 AAV)
Other Notable Free Agents:
– Patrick Kane (Right Wing) (Update: Re-signed with Detroit Red Wings on a one-year, $4M contract)
– Matt Duchene (Center) (Update: Re-signed with Dallas Stars on a one-year, $3M contract)
– Tyler Toffoli (Right Wing/Left Wing) (Update: Signed a four-year, $24M contract with the San Jose Sharks, $6M AAV)
– Brady Skjej (Defenseman) (Update: Signed a seven-year, $49M contract with the Nashville Predators, $7M AAV)
– Teuvo Teravainen (Right Wing/Left Wing) (Update: Signed a three-year, $16.2M contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, $5.4 AAV)
– Sean Monahan (Center) (Update: Signed a five-year, $27.5M contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets, $5.5M AAV)
– Brett Pesce (Defenseman) (Update: Signed a six-year, $33M contract with the New Jersey Devils, $5.5M AAV)
– Chandler Stephenson (Center) (Update: Signed a seven-year, $43.75M contract with the Seattle Kraken, $6.25M AAV)
Main Image: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
