TOP 30 UFAs: 2022

aS OF July 16, 2021 | 10:00AM ET

With the NHL free agent market set to open on July 13 at 12pm ET, TFP has constructed our list of the Top 30 Unrestricted Free Agents available in the market. We will be listing the teams believed to be connected to these players through various newspapers, radio and television reports, cyberspace and our own league-wide sources.

This page will be updated regularly and TFP's panel of experts will outline each player's value. Some players may climb or fall off the list, while others may be added.

Linked teams will also be added and/or removed as more information becomes available.

NOTE: Teams linked to players are in no particular order.

1. Johnny Gaudreau, LW

Signed with Columbus (7-years, $68.25M)

From the get-go, the belief was that Gaudreau wanted to see what his options were going into free agency. Citing family reasons, Gaudreau turned down an 8-year deal worth north of $80M from Calgary and will be testing the market and signing with a new team as a UFA.

linked to:

New Jersey, Philadelphia, NY Islanders, Seattle, Columbus

2. Nazem Kadri, C

Kadri is in line for a hefty raise after making $4.5 million per season the last six seasons. Will it happen in Colorado? The Avs want to hold on to him, but he might price himself out of their range. Teams in need of one of the top second-line centres in the league will be lining up if he hits the open market.

linked to:

Colorado, NY Rangers, Washington, Seattle, Ottawa, Boston, NY Islanders, Philadelphia

3. Claude Giroux, RW/C

Signed with Ottawa (3-years, $19.5M)

A return to South Florida seems almost as unlikely as a return to Philadelphia, which means Giroux is probably wearing a new uniform in 2022-23. He may be more effective on the wing than centre, but his versatility is one of his features teams are attracted to.

linked to:

Florida, Ottawa, Colorado, Carolina, Toronto, Edmonton

4. John Klingberg, RD

Klingberg appears ready for the next chapter of his career. He will be testing the open market and is now the top defenceman available in this summer’s crop. Multiple teams are interested in trying to sign him and he’ll have options ahead of him.

linked to:

Carolina, Calgary, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Ottawa, Detroit, Vancouver

5. Evgeni Malkin, C

Re-signed with Pittsburgh (4-years, $24.4M)

It would be tough to see Malkin in a different uniform, but that reality draws closer as the calendar nears July 13, when he hits the open market. Talks between the Penguins haven’t moved forward and Malkin will test the waters. He could end up staying in Pittsburgh, but he will have options and a decision to make.

linked to:

Pittsburgh, Florida, Colorado, Carolina

6. Valeri Nichushkin, LW/RW

Re-Signed with Colorado (8-years, $49M)

The Avs want to get Nichushkin locked into a new deal, especially after his performance in the playoffs. But several teams might be willing to pay a higher price via free agency if he becomes available. His price tag has skyrocketed.

linked to:

Colorado, Toronto, New Jersey, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Seattle, Philadelphia

7. Evander Kane, LW

Signed with Edmonton (4-years, $20.5M)

Kane got exactly what he wanted out of the Oilers, and Edmonton got exactly what they wanted out of Kane. Now, unless he’s willing to take a fair discount, Kane will explore his options via free agency and could lock into a multi-year contract worth anywhere in the $6 million to $7 million AAV range. Presently, he has a 4-year, $18M offer on the table from Edmonton.

linked to:

Edmonton

8. André Burakovsky, LW/RW

Signed with Seattle (5-years, $27.5M)

The Avs may lose their entire regular-season second-line if Burakovsky walks, too. After a career season in Colorado, where he hit highs in goals, assists and points, Burakovsky could cash in on a larger deal elsewhere.

Linked To:

Colorado, Boston, Buffalo, Seattle, Carolina, Dallas, Calgary

9. Ryan Strome, C

Signed with Anaheim (5-years, $25M)

The Rangers are an interesting team to watch, as they could re-up Strome or use that allocated cap spot for another centre, which would then leave Strome fielding offers later this month.

Linked To:

NY Rangers, Ottawa, Anaheim, Carolina

10. Dylan Strome, C/RW

The Blackhawks are not qualifying Dylan Strome, which will make him an unrestricted free agent. After a rebound campaign, especially in the second half of the 2021-22 season, Strome will generate a ton of interest.

Linked To:

Toronto, Ottawa, Boston, Buffalo, Carolina, Montreal, Philadelphia, Dallas, Edmonton

11. Andrew Copp, RW

Signed with Detroit (5-years, $28.125M)

Copp’s value shot way up after his performance with the Rangers, especially in the playoffs. He could bank a large contract this summer and several teams looking for a middle-six forward with an eye for the net and some jam in his game will be itching to pursue him.

Linked To:

NY Rangers, Los Angeles, Carolina, Dallas, Edmonton, Detroit

12. David Perron, RW/LW

Signed with Detroit (2-years)

The Blues want to keep Perron in the fold, but they have cap restrictions and they might not be able to give him what he’s looking for, which is why he will test the market. He had a great season with the Blues and there will be options for him, if he wants them.

linked to:

St. Louis, Dallas, Calgary, Detroit, Carolina, Colorado

13. Darcy Kuemper, G

Signed with Washington (5-years, $26.25M)

Does Kuemper stay with the Champs, or does he move on? If he asks for a significant raise, he might price himself out of Colorado, which would certainly intrigue a few teams searching for a new No.1 goalie.

Linked To:

Washington, Toronto, Edmonton, Buffalo

14. Jack Campbell, G

Signed with Edmonton (5-years, $25M)

To date, contract talks haven’t gone overly well between the Maple Leafs and Campbell’s camp. In fact, it sounds pretty quiet. If Campbell hits free agency, like Kuemper, he will receive plenty of interest from teams looking for a new starter.

Linked to:

Edmonton, Toronto, New Jersey

15. Ondrej Palat, LW

Signed with New Jersey (5-years, $30M)

The Bolts are trying to create extra cap space to hold on to Palat, but just haven’t been able to make that work. Unless Tampa can find a way to shed some money, Palat will field calls starting July 13 — and there are several teams already linked to him.

linked to:

Tampa Bay, Edmonton, Toronto, Colorado, Calgary, Dallas, NY Islanders, Seattle, Anaheim, New Jersey

16. Josh Manson, RD

Signed with Colorado (4-years, 18M)

Another Avs pending UFA, Manson is keeping his options wide open. He’s coming off a four-year, $16.4 million contract and will likely see his next annual salary hover around the $5 million mark.

linked to:

Colorado, Anaheim, Dallas, Philadelphia

17. Mason Marchment, LW

Signed with Dallas (4-years, $18M)

Marchment can be categorized as a “late bloomer.” After a coming out season in 2021-22, where he picked up 18 goals and 47 points in 54 regular-season games, several teams have interest in exploring his availability as a free agent this July — providing he doesn’t re-sign with Florida.

linked to:

Florida, Boston, Dallas, Toronto, Carolina, Edmonton, New Jersey, Tampa Bay, Calgary, Buffalo

18. Vincent Trocheck, C/RW

Signed with NY Rangers (7-years, $39.375M)

Trocheck has been around for a while, but we should remind you he’s only 28. There are plenty of teams looking for secondary scoring upgrades and Trocheck fits the bill for a lot of them.

linked to:

Carolina, Pittsburgh, Washington, Buffalo, Colorado, NY Rangers

19. Ilya Samsonov, G

Signed with Toronto (1-year, $1.8M)

The Capitals decided not to extend Samsonov a qualifying offer, thus making him a UFA. There will certainly be interest from teams looking to take a chance on a 25-year-old who still has starter potential.

Linked To:

Toronto, Buffalo, San Jose

20. Nino Niederreiter, LW/RW

Niederreiter hasn’t closed the door on a return to Carolina, but he plans on resting the waters and seeing what’s out there.

Linked To:

Carolina, Calgary, NY Islanders, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Colorado, Florida

21. Ilya Mikheyev, LW/RW

Signed with Vancouver (4-years, $19M)

Mikheyev has priced himself out of Toronto and he’ll be moving on with a new club in 2022-23. He’s believed to be looking for between $4 million and $5 million per season, depending on the term, and has shown he’s capable of playing second-line minutes.

linked to:

Detroit, New Jersey, Ottawa, Washington, Vancouver, Seattle

22. Ben Chiarot, LD/RD

Signed with Detroit (4-years, $19M)

A sturdy, reliable defenceman who can play both the left and right side, Chiarot will continue to draw interest this summer, just like he did ahead of the trade deadline during the 2021-22 campaign.

Linked To:

Los Angeles, Dallas, Calgary, Detroit, St. Louis

23. Rickard Rakell, RW/LW

Re-Signed with Pittsburgh (6-years, $30M)

Teams looking for secondary scoring will be calling Rakell’s camp. He provides mid-six relief and can play both wings. He generated a lot of interest ahead of the trade deadline and teams will pursue him this July.

Linked to:

Pittsburgh, Toronto, Boston, Calgary, Dallas, Florida

24. Evan Rodrigues, RW

Another potential late-bloomer on our list, Rodrigues had a solid season in Pittsburgh, picking up 19 goals and 43 assists in 82 games. He will surely receive a solid raise after making $1 million this past season, but for teams looking for an affordable secondary-scorer, he might be the guy.

linked to:

Pittsburgh, Seattle

25. Frank Vatrano, LW/RW

Signed with Anaheim (3-years, $10.95M)

Vatrano really upped his value after joining the Rangers and following a good performance in the playoffs, he will surely land a quality contract somewhere. He fit well in New York, but if he wants too big of a bump in pay, the Rangers may look elsewhere.

linked to:

Winnipeg, Columbus

26. Brett Kulak, LD

Signed with Detroit (4-years, $9M)

Kulak is a reliable, sturdy blueliner who upped his value after joining the Oilers ahead of the trade deadline. He solidifies a team’s bottom-pair and will add to a contender this summer.

Linked To:

Edmonton, Montreal, Florida, Philadelphia, Colorado, Carolina

27. Nick Leddy, LD

Signed with St. Louis (4-years, $16M)

For clubs looking for extra offence from their blueline, Leddy can still provide it. He’s likely a bottom-pair defenceman at this stage, but at 31, he still adds quality depth to a contending team.

Linked To:

St. Louis, NY Islanders

28. Max Domi, C/RW

Signed with Chicago (1-year, $3M)

Domi will be looking for a new home this summer and while he wants the stability of a long-term contract, he might have to settle for a short-term deal. He performed solidly this season and could give a contender quality depth for the new season.

linked to:

Toronto

29. Nic Deslauriers, RW

Signed with Philadelphia (4-years)

Deslauriers generated plenty of interest prior to being moved to Minnesota during the season. Teams want a strong, physical forward to strengthen their bottom-six and he provides just that.

Linked To:

TBD

30. P.K. Subban, RD

Subban’s days as a top-pair defenceman may be behind him, but he’s hoping he can prove to be a strong, reliable second-pair blueliner with a contender this season. He may have to sign a ‘show me’ contract and take a short-term deal, but if it offers a chance to compete for a Stanley Cup, he may take it.

linked to:

TBD