No arbitration, no urgency.
With all the NHL’s arbitration-eligible restricted free agents reaching resolution with their respective clubs before a hearing, only six RFA cases remain unsolved into late August.
And now training camp looms, prompting late-summer settlements from the likes of Marco Rossi and Ryker Evans.
A couple of these young studs without contracts can make the argument for big money and a long-term commitment, but the rest will be negotiating bridge contracts and still must prove themselves worthy of a major payday.
Here is the updated compensation chart for RFAs who choose to sign an offer sheet.
And here is the latest scuttlebutt circulating the six RFAs (minimum 10 NHL games played in 2024-25) still without contract, ranked in order of awesomeness.
Does anyone dare not report to training camp next month in an attempt to flip pressure onto their rights-holding team?
1. Luke Hughes
Age: 21
Position: Defence
2024-25 salary cap hit: $925,000
New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald’s top priority at the outset of the off-season remains that way into late August: Get Hughes locked up at a team-friendly rate.
The Devils did just that with Hughes’ older brother, Jack, and a great long-term comparable for Luke emerged when fellow 2024 Calder Trophy finalist Brock Faber re-upped in Minnesota for eight years at $8.5 million per season.
Such a deal would elevate Luke’s salary over Jack’s $8 million, which is excellent value against a spiking salary cap.
Luke missed the first few weeks of his platform campaign rehabbing his shoulder but rebounded strongly and stepped up down the stretch with injuries to Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler.
Bridging the young defenceman at, say, $5.5 million per season, could save money now but set the Devils up for a monster bill when Hughes approaches UFA status and the cap has gone through the roof.
The smart money says buy big now, and the vibes were positive in July.
“I talked to his agent (on July 1). We said, ‘Let’s enjoy the holiday weekend, and we’ll start talking after,’” GM Tom Fitzgerald told reporters on July 2. “He’s excited. He wants to be a Devil long-term — just like his brother. We’re excited about that.
“Players want to stay here. They want to be in New Jersey. They want to be part of something we’re creating. The standards are getting higher with each year, which is exciting. I don’t sense anything other than Luke wants to be a Devil for a long time.”
Jersey has only roughly $7 million in cap space, which is why veterans Ondrej Palat and Hamilton have surfaced in trade speculation. Teams are permitted to go 10 per cent over the cap in the off-season.
Age: 22
Position: Centre
2024-25 salary cap hit: $894,167
The seven-year, $49-million contract Pat Verbeek issued young RFA centre Troy Terry in 2023 might tell us something about the type of deal the Ducks GM may wish to strike with McTavish, the young stud centre lingering on top of his to-do list.
The Terry deal took time to come together, however.
The executive has cap space to play with but is mindful of the number of players he’ll have knocking at his door for raises. He has a track record of patience, playing out situations where he holds the hammer.
That McTavish hasn’t earned arb rights hurts. That he has improved defensively while remaining an offensive threat and reaching a career-high 52 points helps.
So, how are talks going?
“Nothing yet. I’m sure it’ll kind of happen as the summer goes on. Obviously, I love it here, and hopefully I can stay here,” McTavish said in mid-April. “They believe in me. (No numbers, but) I think that’s more between my agent, me, and Pat.”
Verbeek described McTavish as a “very important” player to the organization on April 19 and said he had already spoken to the player’s agent.
By mid-June, however, no numbers had been exchanged.
Recent contracts for young forwards J.J. Peterka in Utah, Matthew Knies in Toronto and Marco Rossi in Minnesota serve as comparables here.
Another comparable for McTavish’s next contract could be Quinton Byfield’s recent five-year extension in Los Angeles, which carries a $6.25-million AAV.
Despite trade interest from competitors (we see you, Vancouver and Montreal), the belief is that Verbeek wants to lock up McTavish beyond a bridge deal. The moment you lose a centre, you need to go find one.
3. Connor Zary
Age: 23
Position: Centre
2024-25 salary cap hit: $863,334
General manager Craig Conroy is working his way down his to-do list, already extending more senior RFAs Morgan Frost and Kevin Bahl before drilling down on Zary’s file.
The fit is a nice one, but with Zary taking a step back production-wise from his rookie campaign, short-term might be the wise play this summer.
No huge rush at this point, considering Zary lacks arbitration rights.
“He’s a huge priority for us, and we’re going to get it done. It’s just a matter of when,” Conroy said on July 30. “I know everybody wants it done tomorrow. And probably he does, too, and so do we. But both sides have to come to an agreement where we both feel comfortable.”
Though the sides continue to negotiate, progress has been “slow,” according to Conroy.
The Flames are angling for a three-year deal averaging $3 million to $3.5 million, according to Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Di Marco, while Zary would rather his salary begin with a 4. Tyson Foerster’s two-year deal at a $3.75 million AAV could be the settling ground.
With Zary still needing to take a step, it’s hard to see a world where missing camp benefits the player.
Age: 23
Position: Right wing
2024-25 salary cap hit: $797,500
The promising scorer put up 10 goals and 32 points over a 68-game platform campaign in Nashville but let his modest qualifying offer expire.
Preds GM Barry Trotz refers to Evangelista as part of the club’s future, and the organization must get younger and faster.
“My agent (Judd Moldaver) and Trotzy have a good relationship. Obviously, something’s gotta get done. I kinda just wanted to focus on my play,” Evangelista told reporters at season’s end. “I’m confident something will get done.”
The sides are in negotiations, but the true pressure point will be training camp.
A bridge deal appears to be the path to a solution.
“We’re just trying to find a term that fits,” Trotz said. “I would like to go longer. The agents are hesitant to go longer on term.”
Age: 23
Position: Right wing
2024-25 salary cap hit: $894,167
Following a promising 16-goal campaign for the 2023-24 New Jersey Devils — his first full season as an NHL forward — Holtz was dealt west to Vegas as part of the Paul Cotter deal that now looks iffy for the Golden Knights.
“We think that Alexander Holtz has got untapped potential that we feel we can unlock here to some degree with the opportunity,” Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon said at the time.
Well, Holtz got fewer opportunities (53 games with Vegas, 16 down in Henderson) in 2024-25 and scored only four times in the Show.
With Holtz turning down his qualifying offer and Vegas pressed for cap space, short term is the only way to go here.
6. Wyatt Kaiser
Age: 23
Position: Defence
2024-25 salary cap hit: $916,667
The rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks’ quiet off-season should conclude once GM Kyle Davidson re-signs emerging left-shot defenceman Kaiser, who took strides by spending the majority of his season in the majors (57 games) and scoring four times.
Chicago Sun-Times beat writer Ben Pope has indicated that a deal should be worked out before training camp. Projections have Kaiser’s raise coming in at three years and $2.5 million per.
All salary info via the excellent PuckPedia.com.
