Massive decisions are nigh.
A star-studded group featuring future Hall of Famers, No. 1 goalies and defencemen, team captains and league MVP winners are all still without guaranteed employment in 2021-22.
These pending unrestricted free agents have been able to ink extensions with their current clubs for months. We’ve seen the Minnesota Wild (Jonas Brodin, seven years at $6 million), Montreal Canadiens (Jeff Petry, four years and $6.25 million; Brendan Gallagher, six years, $22.5 million), and St. Louis Blues (Jordan Binnington, six years at $6 million) take care of some business early — weakening 2021’s UFA crop in the process.
But plenty of marquee names remain in limbo.
Unlike past seasons, general managers already know 2021-22’s cap ceiling (flat at $81.5 million), yet many are playing wait-and-see with their UFAs as July 28’s open market looms.
Note: The Seattle Kraken will get a jump on the market with its exclusive 48-hour UFA negotiation window July 18-20.
Here is a look at the latest comments and rumours surrounding the top 12 impending UFAs of the Class of 2021.
1. Alex Ovechkin 
Age on July 28: 35
Position: Left wing
2020-21 salary cap hit: $9.5 million
The latest: If Ovechkin (730) is serious about taking a run at Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record (894), he’ll need a fresh multi-year commitment from the franchise that drafted him first overall way back in 2004. It’s blasphemous to envision the Great Eight in any other sweater.
Nicklas Backstrom and Ovechkin have expressed a mutual desire to play alongside each other for as long as possible, and the centreman negotiated his own $46-million extension that should see him setting up Ovechkin’s one-timer through to 2024-25.
“My only concern going forward is that maybe Ovi might hire Nick to do his next contract,” quipped GM Brian MacLellan, confident the sides will find common ground.
The superstar is negotiating his own deal.
Ovechkin and MacLellan had a conversation upon the conclusion of 2019-20 to set the table for parameters of an extension.
In November, Ovechkin gave an interview, in his native tongue, to Russian Television International and addressed his vision for wrapping his playing career.
“It is not a question of money,” the superstar said of his desire to remain in D.C. “It is just a matter of principal. I have only played for two teams, [KHL’s Moscow] Dynamo and Washington. Obviously, I will stay with Washington for another two… three… four… five years. And then I would like to finish on a high note, to play my final game with Dynamo.”
According to Russian outlet metaratings.ru, MacLellan had already floated a three- to five-year extension to the captain that would carry an AAV between $9.5 million and $10 million.
Owner Ted Leonsis won’t disrespect the face of his franchise, who deserves to cash some of the biggest cheques in the league, but with a flat cap, the more team-friendly the deal, the greater chance of building a contender around the captain.
In May, Leonsis said he’s “not concerned” about his captain’s pending UFA status. MacLellan said it’s just a matter of finding “a sweet spot” in years and dollars.
“Obviously, I want to finish my career here,” Ovechkin said at his season-ending press conference. “I’m pretty sure we will do something soon.”
This POV of Alex Ovechkin’s slapshot
(via @BuraGOATsky65) pic.twitter.com/du5iiVHNhO— Gino Hard (@Ginohard_) September 24, 2019
2. Dougie Hamilton 
Age on July 28: 28
Position: Defence
2020-21 salary cap hit: $5.75 million
The latest: The Hurricanes traded for Hamilton, in part, because they liked his cost certainty. Well, after this sprint season, the price tag for the top defender in 2021’s UFA class won’t be so certain.
Hamilton is in a class of his own when it comes to 2021’s UFA D-men.
He is due for a significant raise, as is star forward Andrei Svechnikov (RFA). With cash-conscious Carolina already having four other D-men signed long-term at $4 million-plus per year, and extension talks cool throughout the season, it feels like the sides could be headed for a split.
Hamilton’s camp would use Alex Pietrangelo’s $8.8-million AAV with Vegas on a long-term deal as the ceiling, while the Canes would likely try to use Torey Krug’s $6.5-million AAV with St. Louis as a comparable.
On June 14, Elliotte Friedman reported that Carolina granted the pending UFA’s agent, J.P. Barry, permission to speak with rival clubs and explore an eight-year contract. This could result in a rare sign-and-trade.
Alternatively, after dipping his toe in the market, Hamilton may wish to stay put.
“I really enjoy it here. I’ve got some really good friends, met really, really good people in the room and away from the room, off the ice too,” Hamilton said on June 11.
“I have nothing bad to say about my experience here and being a Carolina Hurricane, and I’ve really enjoyed it. Hopefully we can keep going.”
3. Gabriel Landeskog 
Age on July 28: 28
Position: Left wing
2020-21 salary cap hit: $5.57 million
The latest: True, the budget-conscious Avalanche have a track record of dealing away talent before they hit paydirt: Paul Stastny, Ryan O’Reilly, Matt Duchene, Barrie….
But! Colorado has an open window to contend for the grand prize, and anything other than a long-term extension for the captain would rock the core in a bad way. Real dollars are more of a concern than cap space in Denver, so Sakic should lock up Landeskog for the rest of his prime.
No member of the 2021 UFA class put up more points (52) or points per game (0.96) than Landeskog, who logged 20 minutes a night complementing younger stars Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon on the most dangerous line in the West.
“Actually, back in Edmonton [during the 2020 playoffs], we started a dialogue,” Sakic revealed in October. “We’ll revisit that. We’d like to have something done during the year, but if it has to go through the year, we’re confident we have a pretty good relationship with Gabe and that we’ll be able to figure something out by next year.
“I think everyone’s figuring out where the landscape is going to be in the next few years. The dialogue is going to continue, so hopefully we’ll be able to extend.”
Following Colorado’s playoff elimination and Landeskog’s poor showing in the Vegas series, Mike Chambers of the Denver Post speculated that Sakic could offer the captain a “take it or leave it” deal at $5 million per year.
Certainly, it would take more to retain a talented leader who should fetch closer to a $7 million AAV on the open market.
4. Tyson Barrie 
Age on July 28: 30
Position: Defence
2020-21 salary cap hit: $3.75 million
The latest: Stumbling in Toronto, Barrie bet on himself big-time in the 2020 off-season.
The power-play quarterback reportedly turned down a $6-million offer elsewhere so he could feed pucks to Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, rebound his stock, and rediscover his confidence.
“For me, it was a no-brainer, with everything that’s going on and coming off the year that I had, to be able to have a chance to go into Edmonton and play with this team on a one-year deal,” Barrie said of the gambit. “It just wasn’t about money this year, just coming into re-establish myself and show the league that I’m still a pretty good player.”
Mission accomplished.
Barrie’s playmaking complemented the Oilers stars. He thrived as quarterback of Edmonton’s power play and got his groove back. After racking up 48 points in 56 games, Barrie should ring the cash register this summer.
“If there is an opportunity for me to stay here long-term in Edmonton, it could be a great fit,” Barrie told colleague Mark Spector.
Barrie is believed to be seeking long term and maximum money after smartly betting on himself.
The Oilers may instead prioritize an extension with the more defensively minded Adam Larsson, betting a healthy Oscar Klefbom can resume PP1 duties.
The likely play is for Barrie to let Hamilton set the market and sign with a club that misses out on the most coveted UFA D-man.
5. Philipp Grubauer
Age on July 28: 29
Position: Goaltender
2020-21 salary cap hit: $3.33 million
The latest: Grubauer enjoyed a fabulous season for a Stanley Cup contender. The Colorado starter delivered a sparkling 30-9-1 record, 1.95 GAA, .922 save percentage, and a career-best seven(!) shutouts.
How you knock your contract year out of the park is by putting together a Vezina-finalist campaign.
GM Joe Sakic has been mum on Grubauer’s next contract, but with UFAs Tuukka Rask and Frederik Andersen hampered by injury, the goalie’s leverage is only increasing. His next AAV could start with a six, and the Avs have the cap space to accommodate.
The catch is, they’ve been a budget team and some other big pieces (namely, Landeskog and RFA Cale Makar) must be taken care of as well.
6. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Age on July 28: 28
Position: Left wing / Centre
2020-21 salary cap hit: $6 million
The latest: A friend of the rumour mill, Nugent-Hopkins wrapped his mediocre contract year hot off back-to-back 60-point campaigns.
One of the few mainstays of the Oilers’ top six, RNH has improved his two-way game and has the versatility to complement Edmonton’s superstars from the wing or centre his own middle-six line when necessary.
Although Nuge cannot be replaced internally, the belief is that GM Ken Holland won’t overspend to bring him back. The 2011 No. 1 pick may need to take a discount to stay.
Writes colleague Mark Spector: “I’d guess he’ll be looking for Leon Draisaitl money ($8.5 million), though the Oilers may think that’s high. But with Connor McDavid ($12.5 million) and Draisaitl ($8.5 million) atop the salary structure, Nugent-Hopkins could be signed for a number that does not leave Edmonton like Toronto — top-heavy with three forwards averaging over $11 million apiece.”
Positive preliminary extension talks took place between the Oilers and Nugent-Hopkins’ camp. Then… silence.
The high-end flat-cap comparable here may be Brendan Gallagher’s six-year, $39-million extension in Montreal.
Colleague Mark Spector’s position: “Offer Nugent-Hopkins five years, $28 million ($5.6M AAV). He’ll want six times six. Find a middle ground.”
Asked about RNH’s future on a Zoom call in late February, Holland thought back to some of his overcommitting in Detroit.
“You sign some contracts, and they don’t work out. And the way the [cap]system is built, it makes it more difficult to compete,” Holland said. “He’s an important part of our team, and he’s got good chemistry with our players, but it’s got to work for both sides.”
Nugent-Hopkins contributed a respectable 35 points in 52 games but, much like the rest of the Oilers, failed to increase his stock in Edmonton’s swift playoff exit.
7. Taylor Hall 
Age on July 28: 29
Position: Left wing
2020-21 salary cap hit: $8 million
The latest: Depending how you weigh recent results, Hall could become the most coveted UFA winger on the market two years running — or take a hit to the wallet. All thanks to his rare and surprising one-year, show-me deal with the Buffalo Sabres.
“Things can turn pretty quick, especially if you have elite pieces like the Sabres do,” Hall said, upon becoming 2020’s most surprising signing. “Obviously, I’m betting on myself, but I’m betting that the Sabres can improve and have a good hockey season. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here.
“Honestly, the best thing for both sides is that this goes really well, and I’m a Sabre for a long time.”
Welp.
Hall used his no-move protection to steer a trade to the contending Bruins at the trade deadline. Then he wasted no time thriving on Boston’s second line.
The player would love an extension.
“I see a fit, and hopefully they feel the same. We’ll let the dust settle on everything this year, I’m sure they have a lot of stuff going on and some other guys that have been here longer than me that they have to worry about,” Hall said on June 11. “Then we’ll figure that out, but hopefully we can make something work. That’s my goal. Hopefully, we can make that happen.
“I don’t even know what my value is, at this point,” he continued. “I’m not looking to absolutely maximize my value at this point in my career. I’ve been fortunate enough to make some good money in this league, and at this point, it’s about more of a fit for me than maybe money, or a long-term thing. You want to find a home for the next few years here, and we’ll see what happens.”
8. Zach Hyman 
Age on July 28: 29
Position: Left wing
2020-21 salary cap hit: $2.25 million
The latest: The Maple Leafs love Hyman; Hyman loves the Maple Leafs.
“I would love to stay in Toronto. It’s where I grew up. I want to be a Leaf for a long time. That’s first and foremost,” Hyman said in April of 2020. “I would love to be a long-term Leaf and would love to re-sign here and would love to be here and ultimately win a Stanley Cup here.”
The all-situations winger has upped his bargaining power with another fantastic campaign and proved to be coach Sheldon Keefe’s fixer, as he jostled from line to line, helping energize teammates who need a bump.
Hyman’s brand of hockey would make him a unique commodity on the open market, and as of Toronto’s end-of-season availability, no serious extension talks had taken place.
Leverage rests with the player here, and Hyman has already settled for one hometown discount.
“I don’t know what the future holds,” Hyman said on June 2.
GM Kyle Dubas said he “very interested” in keeping Hyman in the fold. Properly compensating the heart-and-soul winger could be another story.
“It has to work out fair for both sides,” Dubas said. “Zach’s going to want to be treated fairly. We’re going to have to figure out something that works in the short and long term. And that will be up to [Leafs assistant GM] Brandon Pridham and [agent]Todd Reynolds to sort that out.”
9. Kyle Palmieri 
Age on July 28: 30
Position: Right wing / Left wing
2020-21 salary cap hit: $4.65 million
The latest: Beginning 2021 as an unsung star on a rebuilding team, the hardworking Palmieri is quietly riding a five-year streak of 20-goal seasons.
Extension talks with Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald resulted in the winger’s rental to nearby Long Island, and Palmieri made a heckuva rental trade chip.
Along with veteran pivot Travis Zajac, Palmieri yielded his former club a first-round pick. And now he’s in the throes of a deep playoff run in New York, which is relaying on him to contribute to an offensive hole vacated by injured captain Anders Lee.
Palmieri’s two goals in 17 regular-season games for the Isles underwhelmed, but he has exploded for seven more in the postseason.
GM Lou Lamoriello should prioritize RFAs Anthony Beauvillier and Adam Pelech this summer, but Palmieri has been a wonderful addition to his middle six.
10. David Krejci
Age on July 28: 35
Position: Centre
2020-21 salary cap hit: $7.25 million
The latest: The highest-paid Bruin will need to take a pay cut, but Krejci’s 2021 performance — 44 points in 51 games, behind only Landeskog and Barrie on this list — reasserted the value a dependable two-way pivot can bring.
The legs are getting older, the contract needs to get shorter, but Krejci’s hockey sense reminds us of the value in having a second-line centre you can trust in important situations.
The Bruins, however, could be in for another summer of turnover. There is opportunity to go younger.
“It’s not about money,” Krejci said on June 11, still mulling his future. “I guess that’s all I can tell you: My next deal is not going to be based on money. Today, I can tell you, it’s not going to be about money. And at the same time, I just can’t see myself playing for a different team. We’ll see what happens, I guess. I don’t even know. I talked to my parents, and they asked me. I can’t even give them a straight answer.”
Krejci had previously hinted at wrapping his career in his native Czech Republic.
“You guys write a lot that I wanted to finish my career in Czech, which has not changed,” Krejci said. “But when I said that, I was younger. I’m a husband. I’m a dad, I have two kids. They’re getting older. So, yes, I still, at one point, would like to finish my career in Czech for different reasons now than when I first said it. I would like my kids to speak my language because my parents don’t speak any English. My kids don’t speak Czech. I would like them to learn the language.”
11. Phillip Danault 
Age on July 28: 28
Position: Centre
2020-21 salary cap hit: $3.08 million
The latest: Danault’s name was “out there” in the 2020 off-season, per Elliotte Friedman, but trading responsible centremen before they hit age 30 is seldom advisable. Even if the future looks bright at the position (see: Nick Suzuki, Jasperi Kotkaniemi).
Danault doesn’t exactly put up Xbox numbers — he’s never surpassed 13 goals and has reached 50 points just once — but he tilts the ice, nullifies the opposition’s top pivot regularly (see: Matthews, Auston) and is a plus-44 player over the past three seasons.
GM Marc Bergevin was quick to commit to Jeff Petry and Brendan Gallagher in 2020, and he reportedly offered a six-year, $30-million deal to Danault in the off-season that was rejected.
“At this moment, there are no negotiations,” Danault said on Nov. 24. “Letting emotions get in the way of business doesn’t really work. I understood that pretty quickly.”
Yes, Danault wishes he’d been taken care of, the way Gallagher and Petry were, but he’s still bringing a winning attitude to the rink.
“The Canadiens gave me a three-year contract two years ago, and I still have a year to play with the Canadiens,” Danault said. “After that, we’ll see. I really have the intention of honouring my contract and then, after that, we’ll see what the future holds.”
Danault’s value has been reinforced with his excellent shutdown work in the 2021 postseason.
12. Tuukka Rask
Age on July 28: 34
Position: Goaltender
2020-21 salary cap hit: $7 million
The latest: The question isn’t whether Rask — a Vezina-winning, Cup-winning, Jennings-winning stud — is deserving of an extension. The question is whether his body is up for one.
Rask openly pondered 2021 retirement this past season and drew criticism in some (unkind) circles for departing the playoff bubble early to attend to a family matter.
He’ll undergo surgery on a torn hip labrum this off-season and won’t be ready to play until January or February. If and when he straps on the pads again, Rask only sees it being in Boston.
“I’m not going to play for anyone else than the Bruins. This is our home,” Rask said on June 11. “At this point of my life and my career, I don’t see any reason to go anywhere else, especially with the health I’m looking at now and a recovery time of five or six months. Hopefully it works out that I recover well, and we can talk about contracts when the time is right for that.”
Tuukka Rask reveals that he played through a torn hip labrum this season that will require surgery and talks about wanting to return to the #NHLBruins next season: “I’m not going to play for anybody else but the Bruins. This is our home.” pic.twitter.com/EbBsppL1Gf
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) June 11, 2021
More notable 2021 UFAs: Mike Hoffman, Brandon Saad, Frederik Andersen, Eric Staal, Ryan Getzlaf, Tomas Tatar, Mikael Granlund, Erik Haula, Bobby Ryan, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Adam Larsson, Derek Stepan, Paul Stastny, Alexander Edler, Petr Mrazek, Travis Zajac, Jaden Schwartz, David Savard, Tyler Bozak, Ryan Murray, Nikita Gusev, Nick Foligno, Brandon Sutter, Nick Bonino, Alec Martinez, Blake Coleman, Sean Kuraly, Barclay Goodrow, Pekka Rinne, Jamie Oleksiak, Jordan Martinook, Jordie Benn, Joe Thornton, Wayne Simmonds, Alexander Wennberg, Mike Reilly, Mattias Janmark, Corey Perry, Devan Dubnyk, Chris Driedger, Jonathan Bernier, Jaroslav Halak, Linus Ullmark, Mike Smith, James Reimer
All contract info via the indispensable CapFriendly.com.
