Ryan Johansen, Torey Krug among top RFAs yet to sign new deals
Training camps open in mere days, but for a few teams there is work yet to be done to finalize rosters. For eight teams, that work includes finalizing new contracts for restricted free agents. Some of those free agents have already proven to be integral players for their respective teams and remain important pieces going forward.
With only six days remaining before most teams' preseason training gets underway, the clock is ticking before these restricted free agents officially become holdouts. The longer those negotiations last, the more risk there is that the holdout will carry over into the season.
Given the late stage of these negotiations, it would seem unlikely many -- if any -- of these players will be receiving long-term deals. However, some of these RFA's recent peers are getting deals that may offer comparable situations to their own and could have helped set the market.
Recent restricted free agents signed to new deals include Justin Schultz of the Edmonton Oilers (one year, $3.6 million), Tyson Barrie of the Colorado Avalanche (two years, $5.2 million) and the Minnesota Wild's Nino Niederreiter (three years, $8 million).
There are currently 10 notable restricted free agents that remain unsigned. Some played more significant roles than others, but each is an important player that these teams will rely on in the future as much, if not more than they will in the short term.
With that in mind, here’s a look at all 10, weighted by potential impact heading into next season.
Ryan Johansen, Columbus Blue Jackets: Undoubtedly the most impactful among remaining unsigned restricted free agents, Johansen is coming off an incredible third season in the league. The former fourth overall pick had 33 goals and 63 points for the Blue Jackets and is looking for a big-time deal. The Blue Jackets and Johansen are reportedly $3 million apart on annual average, but have agreed on a two-year term. The risk of holdout seems especially high here, but it is believed Johansen's agent and Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen will meet this weekend.
Danny DeKeyser, Detroit Red Wings: Though he has just 76 games of NHL experience after signing with the Red Wings as an undrafted free agent out of college, DeKeyser has already grown into a substantial role for Detroit. The 24-year-old defenseman averaged 21:38 of ice time last season and posted 23 points in 65 games. Given the Red Wings' relative lack of depth on defense and their inability to sign the unrestricted free agents they targeted, getting a deal done with DeKeyser has become even more important. His negotiation is slightly complicated by the fact that the Red Wings have not finalized plans for free-agent forward Daniel Alfredsson. Fitting both under the cap is doable, but the Alfredsson situation is far from resolved it seems.
Brenden Dillon, Dallas Stars: After all of the excitement and buzz the Stars generated by making significant moves to their forward group, the defense was left largely untouched. The defensive depth was already a concern, which is what makes Dillon so important to this group. The 23-year-old blueliner is a top-four defenseman who will likely be utilized even more heavily coming into this season. He averaged just over 21 minutes a game in 2013-14, his second full season in the league, and has been one of the team's better possession defenseman despite his heavily defensive role. Not well known throughout the league, Dillon is a player that is and will be of great importance to the Stars for years to come. This is a deal that should get done sooner than later.
Jaden Schwartz, St. Louis Blues: Since the Blues already lost RFA Vladimir Sobotka to the KHL, they'll want to make sure to get this negotiation right. That said, it is unclear if a deal is going to get done before training camp. Schwartz put up 56 points last season, fourth most on the Blues, and looks to be an integral part of their de facto third line. The 22-year-old took a big step forward as a pro and should be viewed as a key player in the Blues' revamped lineup that now includes Paul Stastny and Finnish standout Jori Lehtera. The Blues can get by with some added depth up front if Schwartz's negotiations last longer than expected, but he's in a similar situation to Johansen. He has done a lot, but has he done it for long enough to merit a more sizable contract?
Torey Krug, Boston Bruins: The Bruins are in quite a pickle here with two restricted free agents coming off of excellent seasons and are already in a severe cap crunch. Krug broke Bobby Orr's team record for goals by a rookie defenseman last season with 14 and had 40 points. He is an offensive specialist, which means he won't see the ice as much as Boston's top D, but his production is quite important. After joining the club as an undrafted free agent, he has been a huge success. There's a lot left to shake out for Boston to get both Krug and Reilly Smith under cap-friendly contracts and it wouldn't be shocking to see these negotiations stretch into camp.
Reilly Smith, Boston Bruins: After coming to the team as part of the Tyler Seguin trade with Dallas, Smith exceeded expectations with 20 goals and 51 points in his first full-time NHL season. The tricky thing with Smith is that last season was tough to gauge. The production was certainly outstanding, but is it going to be repeatable? A 13.7 shooting percentage might be tough to replicate. As a result, deciding whether he's worth what he produced last season relative to what the Bruins think he can produce going forward makes this a little tougher. The fact that he has a gifted teammate in the same boat as an RFA makes things even more complicated. This is a tough one for the Bruins to get out of reasonably without having to shed salary in the trade market, which they may have to do anyway.
Ryan Ellis, Nashville Predators: The former 11th overall selection hasn't truly had his breakout yet in the NHL, but after spending most of the past two seasons with the team, he has proven he's ready to be a regular defenseman on this team. A bottom-pairing power-play specialist, Ellis has his usage limitations which will impact his value and the term he gets on his contract. His vast offensive potential is only just beginning to get tapped into at the NHL level, but he lacks leverage for multiple years and money in a similar range as some of his peers.
Darcy Kuemper, Minnesota Wild: Reports surfaced earlier in the week that suggested Kuemper was exploring his KHL options as talks have stalled with the Wild. It's probably more a negotiation tactic than a real possibility, but the Wild have to be careful here. Minnesota has two NHL goalies on the roster already, but Josh Harding and Niklas Backstrom have had enough health concerns that make it difficult to count on either for the full season. Kuemper may not want to wait, but there aren't exactly a lot of NHL jobs open right now. Getting a short-term deal and the reps he needs in the AHL may be best for his development if not for his wallet. This negotiation could stretch for a while.
Cody Eakin, Dallas Stars: With two full seasons with the Stars under his belt, Eakin has shown glimpses of being a strong NHL player. The former Capitals draft pick has been a solid performer in the Stars' top nine and had 35 points last season. The fact that Brenden Dillon is also waiting on a deal makes things a little tougher as Dillon should be the priority for the Stars. That said, it's hard to imagine a scenario in which Eakin's deal doesn't get done in short order. He's not a central player, but he has enough potential to be viewed as an important piece to the Stars' present and future. He and Dillon share the same agent, so that could help things move a little more smoothly.
Devante Smith-Pelly, Anaheim Ducks: The Ducks may have been a tad over-eager to get Smith-Pelly in their lineup when he played 49 games in 2011-12. That started the clock on his contract earlier than it needed to be started and now the Ducks are here with the three years burned off his cheap entry-level contract on 75 total games. That said, it looks like DSP is ready to make the leap to the NHL this season. He plays a rugged game that they love in Anaheim and showed some real flashes in 12 playoff games with five goals this spring. Because of his limited NHL service, Smith-Pelly should be gunning for what his potential says he's worth, which would undoubtedly be more than what he has had the chance to show at the NHL level. At 22 years old, Smith-Pelly plays a heavy game and has shown he can produce. He did have 10 points in 19 regular-season games last season, too. The Ducks have plenty of cap space, so this is a deal that is likely to get done before camp starts, which is in the best interest of both sides particularly in this case.
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