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The NHL free agency frenzy has given way to the serene waters of Canadian lake cottages, where many team executives are clearing their minds as training camps creep closer.
The unrestricted free agent pool is essentially a shallow creek with very few impactful free agents. But PuckPedia calculates that all but seven NHL teams have at least $1 million to spend on their rosters, while 11 teams — ranging from the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks to the contending Carolina Hurricanes to whatever the Pittsburgh Penguins are — have north of $10 million of cap space.
That’s not accounting for the salary cap space that could be added via trades — like the one the Vancouver Canucks made recently, sending forward Dakota Joshua to the Toronto Maple Leafs and clearing $3.25 million off their cap.
Here’s a look at some of the unrestricted free agents and the impact they could have with a new team. All contract information is courtesy of PuckPedia.
Contents
The Forwards
Jack Roslovic, C
Age: 28 | 2024-25 cap hit: $2.8 million
Easily the most tantalizing player left in free agency. Roslovic played 81 games for the Carolina Hurricanes last season, generating 22 goals and 17 assists in 13:49 of average ice time. His goal total matched his career high he set with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2020-21.
He’s an instant-offense player. His defense is another story: According to Evolving Hockey, he was the second-worst forward on the Hurricanes in even-strength goals allowed above average, behind Andrei Svechnikov. And Roslovic doesn’t score like Svechnikov.
But no one available in the UFA market scored more goals than Roslovic last season. He has been linked to the Maple Leafs in part because he was a U.S. National Development Team teammate with Auston Matthews; the Washington Capitals, who seek to bolster their forward group; and the Vancouver Canucks, who have had discussions with his camp.
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