The NHL's 10 best sleeper free agents

The 2023 NHL free agent market lacks superstars, but there are still quality players on offer at a variety of price points. On June 15, we outlined the top 30 free agents available, but there are other guys who have contributions to make.

Here's a list of some free agents that didn't quite make the top 30 cut for one reason or another that are still likely to produce for the next NHL team they land with:

1. Carson Soucy

Age on October 1, 2023: 29

Position: LD

2022-23 team: Seattle Kraken

2022-23 stats: 78 GP, 3 G, 13 A, 16 P, 52.9% CF

Why he's a sleeper: Soucy has never generated much offense or skated more than 17:40 per game in a season. His possession metrics are fine, but not outstanding.

While Soucy is younger than many free agents, it's fair to wonder if there's much upside left with him. He might be the kind of third-pairing defender teams might be better off finding in-house or seeking on a cheaper contract than the former Kraken blueliner will command.

How he could make an impact: Not only does being under 30 help Soucy's case, he's also got a strong frame at 6-foot-5, 208 pounds — and he's not afraid to throw it around.

He has more role versatility than many defensemen, as the Minnesota Wild continually buried him in the defensive zone while he played there (60.7% dZS%) while Seattle liked to give him more time in the offensive zone (52.0 oZS%).

He's not an elite offensive force by any means, but he's got a heavy shot that contributed to a 10-goal season in 2021-22.

2. Pius Suter

Age on October 1, 2023:

Position: LW/C

2022-23 team: Detroit Red Wings

2022-23 stats: 79 GP, 14 G, 10 A, 24 P, 45.5% CF

Why he's a sleeper: Suter has toiled in obscurity with NHL teams that have a 91-102-27 record during his brief NHL career. He averaged just 14:04 of ice time on a Red Wings squad that won 35 games last season, which may have teams wondering what he can contribute to a winner.

Although he can play center, he's not trustworthy in the faceoff circle with a career FO% of 46.9%.

How he could make an impact: Suter has been a remarkably consistent goal scorer with 14 or 15 goals in each of his three NHL seasons. He can be dangerous off the rush and kills penalties well — and that combination has led to three shorthanded goals over the last two seasons.

Suter's inability to carve out bigger roles for rebuilding teams in need of an offensive spark is a red flag, but he's young enough that he might develop further in the right situation. As a shoot-first player, he could blossom alongside the right playmaker.

3. Conor Sheary

Age on October 1, 2023: 31

Position: LW

2022-23 team: Washington Capitals

2022-23 stats: 82 GP, 15 G, 22 A, 37 P, 48.0% CF

Why he's a sleeper: Sheary lacks size and doesn't bring as much physicality as some teams prefer in their middle-six wingers.

The 31-year-old has had opportunities to play with elite players in his time with the Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins and he has just one 20-goal season on his resume. He's also never skated more than 15:56 per night in his NHL career.

How he could make an impact: After a couple of uninspired seasons after leaving Pittsburgh, he's found his footing lately with 80 points in his last two years with the Capitals.

Sheary comes with plenty of playoff experience and two Stanley Cup rings. He improved his versatility in 2022-23 by taking on a significant penalty-killing load for the first time in his career. The winger is probably best cast as a third-liner capable of chipping in on PP2 and PK2 as needed, but that has plenty of value.

4. Nick Bjugstad

Age on October 1, 2023: 31

Position: C

2022-23 team(s): Arizona Coyotes/Edmonton Oilers

2022-23 stats: 78 GP, 17 G, 12 A, 29 P, 47.0% CF

Why he's a sleeper: Bjugstad has played for five teams since 2018-19, and he's scored seven or fewer goals in three of the last five seasons.

He found his footing last year skating a career-high 16:59 per night with the Coyotes, but his time in Edmonton wasn't as impressive. Some teams may question whether he's a third-liner or a fourth-liner, and if they believe the latter they could seek younger, cheaper, options.

How he could make an impact: After a few lost seasons, Bjugstad found a new lane in 2022-23.

Like Sheary, he took on significant penalty-killing duties for the first time in his career and his defensive zone start percentage eclipsed 60% with both the Coyotes and Oilers.

Bjugstad brings elite size (6-foot-6, 209 pounds) and he set a career-high with 168 hits last season. That frame can also make him a net-front option in power-play and empty-net scenarios.

5. Gustav Nyquist

Age on October 1, 2023: 34

Position: RW

2022-23 team: Columbus Blue Jackets/Minnesota Wild

2022-23 stats: 51 GP, 11 G, 16 A, 27 P, 48.0% CF

Why he's a sleeper: Because he missed time with a shoulder injury last season, Nyquist's total numbers don't look particularly impressive and he's entering his mid-thirties.

He hasn't topped 18 goals in three years, and his average ice time dipped below 15 minutes when he joined the Wild, indicating that his role in recent seasons might have been inflated by a lack of strong alternatives in Columbus.

How he could make an impact: Nyquist produced a 52-point season in 2021-22, and took up penalty killing that year as well. Not only did he hold his own on that front, he scored four shorthanded goals — the third-highest total in the NHL.

Nyquist has bounced around, but he's produced 0.64 points/game over the last four seasons. While his age makes him a stop-gap option, he can still contribute in a middle-six role that includes special teams work.

6. David Kämpf

Age on October 1, 2023: 28

Position: C

2022-23 team: Toronto Maple Leafs

2022-23 stats: 82 GP, 7 G, 20 A, 17 P, 52.7% CF

Why he's a sleeper: Kämpf has never scored more than 11 goals in a season and he's best used as a fourth-line centre who logs significant time on the penalty kill. That profile isn't going to elicit a massive contract.

Kämpf isn't a player who tends to excel when moved up the lineup. His offensive skills are light for a top-nine role, as indicated by his career shooting percentage of 7.3%.

How he could make an impact: Although the veteran is built for a very specific role, he excels within it. The Maple Leafs started him in the defensive zone in 74.8% of his even-strength shifts over the past two years and he still posted a +18 rating.

Kämpf is also a reliable faceoff man, winning between 51.5 and 52.9% of his draws in each of the last four seasons. He picked up Selke Trophy votes in 2021-22, and despite all of his defensive-zone work he rarely takes a penalty.

7. Connor Brown

Age on October 1, 2023: 29

Position: RW

2022-23 team: Washington Capitals

2022-23 stats: 4 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P, 53.3% CF

Why he's a sleeper: Brown is coming off an ACL injury that cost him nearly all of 2022-23. How he'll recover and produce in 2023-24 is the biggest question surrounding him.

It's tough to garner too much attention on the free-agent market coming off a totally lost season.

How he could make an impact: While Brown had a nightmare 2022-23, he's just a year removed from a three-year stint with the Ottawa Senators that saw him produce 117 points in 191 games.

Brown was a do-it-all player for the Sens, logging a massive ice time average (19:33) and featuring on both special teams units. There's no one thing he does extraordinarily well, but he's still on the right side of 30 and is the type of player capable of helping his team in a multitude of ways.

8. Erik Gustafsson

Age on October 1, 2023: 31

Position: LD

2022-23 team(s): Washington Capitals/Toronto Maple Leafs

2022-23 stats: 70 GP, 7 G, 35 A, 42 P, 53.9% CF

Why he's a sleeper: Gustafsson is a player coaches don't trust defensively. He's started more than 60% of his shifts in the offensive zone in his career, he's never killed penalties, and the Maple Leafs seldom used him in the playoffs.

Teams with established power-play quarterbacks may find him redundant, and the fact he's played on multiple teams in three of the last four seasons could be considered a red flag.

How he could make an impact: For all of Gustafsson's faults, he's a talented puck-mover capable of creating offense at even strength and on the power play. He has a 60-point season on his resume, and he led all unrestricted free agent defensemen in points last season.

He can still contribute in a role that respects his limitations, and could be a poor man's Shayne Gostisbehere for a team lacking offensive ambition from its blue line.

9. Niko Mikkola

Age on October 1, 2023: 27

Position: LD

2022-23 team(s):St. Louis Blues/New York Rangers

2022-23 stats: 81 GP, 1 G, 5 A, 6 P, 42.8% CF

Why he's a sleeper: Mikkola simply doesn't do offense. He's produced 23 points in 170 career NHL games with just five goals to his name. There is nothing sexy about a player coming off a full season where he didn't come close to accumulating 10 points.

His possession metrics don't tell a particularly kind story, although that's explainable for a guy with a 62.1% defensive zone start rate in his career.

How he could make an impact: Mikkola may lack offensive flair, but he's got youth on his side and he earned the Rangers' trust last season, skating 18:42 per night after coming over from the Blues.

He also has size (6-foot-5, 209 pounds) and the ability to deliver hits and block shots at a solid clip. Whichever team signs the Finn will find themselves with a trustworthy bottom-pairing defender who will happily take on an unglamorous role. Often players with that profile are in their thirties, but Mikkola comes with fewer concerns about physical decline.

10. Ian Cole

Age on October 1, 2023: 34

Position: LD

2022-23 team: Tampa Bay Lightning

2022-23 stats: 78 GP, 3 G, 14 A, 17 P, 51.0% CF

Why he's a sleeper: Cole is no spring chicken, and he doesn't contribute much on offense. His career-high points total is 26 and he's scored just 32 goals in 13 NHL seasons. Adding Cole to your roster is unlikely to make you a Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year frontrunner.

How he could make an impact: Although he's entering his mid-thirties, Cole is coming off a strong season with the Lightning. He was able to handle his largest ice-time load since 2018-19 — and the third-highest average of his career — at 19:23.

Cole blocks plenty of shots and at 6-foot-1, 225 pounds he brings plenty of size to the table even if he isn't known for throwing huge hits. The veteran has nearly 1,500 minutes of penalty-killing experience and should help on that special teams unit for whatever team he lands with.