![]() ![]() There is no doubt that Chara absolutely can still be an effective NHL player, even at the age of 43. Zdeno Chara – Defenseman – Expiring Annual Salary: $2,000,000 However, if Haula is able to duplicate his success from 2017-18, he could set himself up for a big payday next next offseason when there is a bit more certainty with the market. Having said that, in order to make a return happen Haula would probably have to sign a one-year deal at a discount. Haula experienced his most successful season from an offensive standout in 2017-18 with Vegas, and if Haula wants to join a contender, I’m sure Vegas would love for him to return. Yes, the Golden Knights will need to move out some salary to sign Haula, but they certainly could use the depth that Haula would bring. The Nashville Predators and the Florida Panthers definitely do have the cap space that is needed in order to sign Haula, but a return to Las Vegas could make the most sense. Las Vegas Golden Knights – Current Cap Space: $0.Now, while that isn’t necessarily top line production, he’d fit in nicely as a second line or third line center for some teams, especially since he’s above average in the faceoff circle and can contribute on the power play. He was actually relatively productive in this abbreviated campaign with 12 goals and 12 assists, a 41-point pace over a full schedule. Haula has unfortunately dealt with knee injuries in each of the last two seasons, which limited him to just 15 games in 2018-19 and 48 this past season. Plus, as a center, he plays a position that’s typically in short supply and high demand. He’s not far removed from a 29 goal, 55 point campaign back in 2017-18. The 29-year-old Haula is one of the more intriguing remaining free agents on the open market. NHL 21 Free Agents – Depth Players Erik Haula – Center – Expiring Base Salary: $2,750,000 Additionally, Vatanen could help stabilize a second power-play unit and return to a more offensive role he used to excel in when he played for the Anaheim Ducks. Having said that, Vatanen could find himself landing a nice spot in Winnipeg’s top four. The Jets have been considered a contending team for the last couple years and should be in the mix for this upcoming season as well. ![]() However, with a thin defensive free agent market, there still should be a significant amount of teams interested in obtaining his services - if even only for one season. He does, however, carry considerable injury risk as he has yet to play more than 72 games in a single season. Sami Vatanen – Defenseman – Expiring Base Salary: $4,500,000Īt 29 years of age, while Vatanen’s offensive production has dipped in recent years compared to the 37 and 38 point seasons he put up in 2014-16, he’s still an intriguing top four option that can help run a power play. ![]() However, Ottawa does have a rebuild plan in place and perhaps they are just going to roll with the youth they currently possess. The Senators did bring in offensive winger Evgenii Dadonov to I guess essentially replace Duclair’s production, but Ottawa can use all of the offensive help they can get. It’s hard to imagine the Ottawa Senators, sitting with that much cap space, would not be seriously looking into bringing back their leading goal scorer from last season. Ottawa Senators – Current Cap Space: $20,702,501.Nashville Predators – Current Cap Space: $12,942,190.Furthermore, Duclair is also thought of as one of the fastest skaters in the league and recently placed sixth in the fastest skater competition at All-Star Weekend. Duclair twice has hit the 20-goal mark, once last season, and in his 2015-2016 rookie season. He was happy to be one of the faces of the rebuild and made his first career All-Star Game in 2020, which was his only full season with the Senators. However, many believed that Duclair had found a potential home in Ottawa. Duclair has played for New York, Arizona, Chicago, Columbus and Ottawa. The former third-round pick of the New York Rangers has bounced around the league in his six NHL seasons. ![]() Anthony Duclair – Winger – Expiring Base Salary: $1,650,000 Additionally, the Panthers have already lost top six scoring winger Evgenii Dadonov to the Ottawa Senators, so with a glaring hole at the wing position the Panthers can ill afford to lose Hoffman too. It makes further sense because over the past two seasons Hoffman’s 65 goals rank first on the team and his 129 points rank third. The Panthers have an abundance of cap space that makes bringing back Hoffman a distinct possibility.
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