Inside the numbers of this unusual NHL Free Agency 2020
Anthony Scultore
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NHL Free Agency 2020 opened on Friday, and while Mike Hoffman and Mikael Granlund remain unsigned most of the dust has settled. This free agent season has been filled with mostly one and two-year deals.
NHL Free Agency 2020 contracts
Per Cap Friendly, since the opening bell there have been 157 signings. Of those, 93 were one year deals and 43 two year contracts were handed out. That is a total of 136 out of the 157! All and all, that totals $236 million in salary next season and over $500 million in total contract money.
Only four players received a deal of five years or better. They were Radek Faska who signed with Dallas for five. Then came Jacob Markstrom who got six years from Calgary. Only two players received the max seven years and they were Torey Krug with St. Louis, and Alex Pietrangelo with Vegas.
Of course these numbers are expected to rise with players like Hoffman, Granlund and others still out there.
What teams are spending
So what teams are spending? Let’s take a look at each team that has signed players so far. We break it down by total contracts done, total money for next season and the averages of all those deals.
- Anaheim: 6 contracts, $8.39M next season total, $1.39M avg
- Arizona: 5 contracts, $5.3M next season total, $1M avg
- Boston: 2 contracts, $4.3M next season total, $2.2M avg
- Buffalo: 6 contracts, $16.2M next season total, $2.7M avg
- Carolina: 5 contracts, $4.9M next season total, $990K avg
- Columbus: 2 contracts, $2.2M next season total, $1.1M avg
- Calgary: 7 contracts, $14M next season total, $2M avg
- Chicago: 5 contracts, $10.9M next season total, $2.1M avg
- Colorado: 8 contracts, $14M next season total, $1.7M avg
- Dallas: 4 contracts, $8M next season total, $2M avg
- Detroit: 8 contracts, $11.5M next season total, $1.4M avg
- Edmonton: 7 contracts, $10M next season total, $1.5M avg
- Florida: 5 contracts, $7.5M next season total, $1.5M avg
- L.A.: 2 contracts, $2.1M next season total, $700K avg
- Columbus: 2 contracts, $2.2M next season total, $1.1M avg
- Minnesota: 5 contracts, $7.8M next season total, $1.5M avg
- Montreal: 4 contracts, $6.4M next season total, $1.6M avg
- NJ: 2 contracts, $4.6M next season total, $2.3M avg
- Nashville: 6 contracts, $6.9M next season total, $1.1M avg
- NYI: 3 contracts, $2.2M next season total, $725K avg
- NYR: 10 contracts, $7.9M next season total, $795K avg
- Ottawa: 3 contracts, $7.6M next season total, $2.5M avg
- Philadelphia: 3 contracts, $4.5M next season total, $1.5M avg
- Pittsburgh: 6 contracts, $4.2M next season total, $700K avg
- San Jose: 4 contracts, $7M next season total, $1.7M avg
- St. Louis: 6 contracts, $10.3M next season total, $1.7M avg
- Tampa Bay: 6 contracts, $4.5M next season total, $750K avg
- Toronto: 6 contracts, $9.9M next season total, $1.6M avg
- Vancouver: 3 contracts, $6.2M next season total, $2M avg
- Vegas: 4 contracts, $11.5M next season total, $2.8M avg
- Winnipeg: 7 contracts, $6.1M next season total, $875K avg
- Washington: 6 contracts, $8.4M next season total, $1.4M avg
NHL Free Agency 2020 is a buyer’s market
The bottom line this free agent season is that owners are winning. Agents and players are not happy with the fact there really isn’t a market for their services. This is in large part to the flat cap and the uncertainty of next season due to COVID-19.
Taylor Hall was offered longer term deals at less money, but instead took $8 million from the Sabres for one year. Now how many of you had him going to Buffalo? Not a one. Come on, you know you didn’t see that coming.
Mike Hoffman is said to be holding out for his value, he may be waiting for awhile. There simply isn’t much of a desire from teams to hurt themselves cap wise, especially if the flat cap remains at $81.5 million for the 2021-22 season.