On July 13, at midday ET, the doors to a star-studded NHL free agency swing wide open. The salary cap is set at $82.5 million, being bumped by $1 million.
While many players have been secured by their franchises in recent days – like Filip Forsberg, Kris Letang, and Valeri Nichushkin – there will still be a lot of movement.
Biggest UFAs To Hit NHL Free Agency In 2022:
Last-minute contract signings aren’t uncommon in the approach to the NHL free agency, so here, we’re looking at the top UFAs currently set to hit the open market.
Just as a forewarning, two-way powerhouse Patrice Bergeron is left out because of his comments to only return if it’s with the Bruins.
Without further ado, it's time to look at the top UFAs set to be exploring the NHL free agency in 2022...
Johnny Gaudreau
Having scored 40 goals and 115 points in his first 82-game season since hitting 99 points in 2018/19, if there’s one thing that’s certain about Johnny Gaudreau, it’s that he’s currently underpaid.
The lightning-fast wing is coming to the end of his $6.7 million per season deal that started in 2016 with the Calgary Flames.
Now, he could easily command an annual salary upwards of $10 million in ideal market conditions.
Darcy Kuemper
Darcy Kuemper is a novelty in the 2022 NHL free agency. He’s the only fully-fledged starting goaltender, having just backstopped for the Stanley Cup champions and current favourites to do it again in the ice hockey betting.
However, the Colorado Avalanche have brought in and signed Alexandar Georgiev to a very cost-effective $10.2 million over three years deal.
So, the Cup-winning, 196cm, 32-year-old netminder will become a top target in the market, entering with a .921 save percentage and 37 wins over 57 games.
Claude Giroux
Drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2006, Claude Giroux found himself in a different jersey for the first time in his career after the trade deadline last season.
This didn’t stop the veteran forward from padding his stellar stats sheet, scoring three goals and 23 points in 18 games to add extra offensive might to the Presidents’ Trophy winners.
Given that the Panthers are certainly on the ascendency, Florida would be the ideal landing spot as the 34-year-old seeks another Stanley Cup run, but the Sunrise club looks to be strapped for cash.
So, he’ll likely hope for one of the other top contenders in the odds to offer a contract.
John Klingberg
Entering his prime at 29-years-old and having put up at least 40 points in all but two seasons since 2014/15 – only missing that mark in 2019/20 and 2020/21 – John Klingberg remains one of the league’s top offensive defensemen.
The Stars undoubtedly don’t want to lose the towering Swede, but his deserving pay bump just doesn’t seem to work with the need for Dallas to re-sign RFAs Jake Oettinger and Jason Robertson, along with patching other holes left by UFAs.
This could make Klingberg one of the most sought-after players in the 2022 NHL free agency.
André Burakovsky
The Colorado Avalanche built a very cap-friendly team that allows for plenty of strong depth pieces around its star players.
Having paid Nichushkin, though, around $15 million doesn’t seem like enough to keep on all of the team’s supporting cast.
With 22 goals and 61 points in 80 games, André Burakovsky would seem like the kind of wing to keep.
However, the Austrian-born Swede will almost certainly be able to fish for a better offer than the Avs will want to put forward.
Nazem Kadri
The top-class pivot play of Nazem Kadri will certainly attract interest in the NHL free agency.
En route to winning the Stanley Cup last season, he put up 15 points, 58 shots on goal, 20 hits, and a 50.3 faceoff win percentage from 187 draws.
The Avs will likely try to convince him to stay for close to his expiring deal that hits the cap for $4.5 million, but Kadri has just come off of his best regular season to date.
The Ontario native could find a deal that almost doubles what he has been earning in the open market.
Evgeni Malkin
Evgeni Malkin has been one of the most-feared centers in the NHL for over a decade.
He and Crosby became the offensive might of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and “Geno” is still going strong in the points per game department – putting up 20 goals and 42 points in 41 games last season.
At 35-years-old, another $9.5 million per season deal is essentially off the cards anywhere. Still, the situation does allow Malkin to potentially take a hefty cut to go for the Stanley Cup one or two more times.
P.K. Subban
P.K. Subban put up 22 points, 114 shots on goal, and 90 blocked shots in an average of 18:18 minutes on ice across 77 games for the New Jersey Devils last season.
While he’s pretty far-flung from his once-common 50-point romps, the 33-year-old still has a lot to offer NHL teams.
This season, Subban will be getting a significant pay cut from the $9 million average annual salary that the Montréal Canadiens gave him in 2014.
He still has a strong locker room presence and could be the top-six difference-maker that helps to drive a team into the postseason.
The 2022 NHL free agency looks to be a lively one, especially if the top UFAs featured above find new homes.
*Credit for all images in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 12th July 2022
