NHL Free Agent Tracker: P.K. Subban best of the rest
Anthony Scultore
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P.K. Subban is now at the top of the list of available free agents after Phil Kessel signed with the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.
The NHL Free Agent Tracker for 2022-23 has been updated with the top 20 remaining unrestricted free agents available.
As we continue to monitor the signings, here’s the Top UFA’s sorted by their expiring cap hit from highest to lowest. Many of these players will likely remain unsigned before training camps open in September. Some are considered excellent candidates for a PTO (Professional Tryout).
Note: All cap data from CapFriendly.
NHL Free Agent Frenzy: P.K. Subban leads the pack
| PLAYER | AGE | POS | PREVIOUS CAP HIT |
| P.K. Subban | 33 | D | $ 9,000,000.00 |
| Loui Eriksson | 36 | F | $ 6,000,000.00 |
| Anton Strålman | 35 | D | $ 5,500,000.00 |
| Danny DeKeyser | 32 | D | $ 5,000,000.00 |
| Calvin De Haan | 31 | D | $ 4,550,000.00 |
| Victor Rask | 29 | C | $ 4,000,000.00 |
| Brett Connolly | 30 | F | $ 3,500,000.00 |
| Antoine Roussel | 32 | F | $ 3,000,000.00 |
| Jay Beagle | 36 | C | $ 3,000,000.00 |
| Thomas Hickey | 33 | D | $ 2,500,000.00 |
| Cody Eakin | 31 | C | $ 2,250,000.00 |
| Ryan Murray | 28 | D | $ 2,000,000.00 |
| Tyler Pitlick | 30 | RW | $ 1,750,000.00 |
| Zach Aston-Reese | 27 | F | $ 1,725,000.00 |
| Sonny Milano | 26 | F | $ 1,700,000.00 |
| Scott Harrington | 29 | D | $ 1,633,333.00 |
| Nathan Beaulieu | 29 | D | $ 1,250,000.00 |
| Kris Russell | 35 | D | $ 1,250,000.00 |
| Tyler Motte | 27 | F | $ 1,225,000.00 |
| Evan Rodrigues | 28 | F | $ 1,000,000.00 |
Top 5 most likely to be signed
P.K. Subban: He recorded 22 points in 77 games last season and no longer has the skating legs he used to have. However, he can still shoot the puck with the best of them and run a power play. He’s not going to see an AAV of $9 million ever again, but could get something in the neighborhood of $3-5 million on a one-year deal.
Evan Rodrigues: Playing with the Penguins, he amassed 43 points in 82 games. The fact that he’s still unsigned is pretty shocking to me. Is it possible he’s asking for too much of a raise from his previous contract, which was only for one-year and a million dollars? There’s no doubt he deserves more and I expect he will find a home soon.
Calvin de Haan: Last season, he recorded 8 points in 69 games for the Blackhawks with a cap hit of $4.55M AAV. Despite playing for a bad Chicago team, many believe he can add serious depth with a lot of upside to a defense.
Danny DeKeyser: The Red Wings veteran rearguard just wrapped up a 6-year deal with an AAV of $5 million and there’ve been no takers on the free agent market to date. In 2021-22, he picked up 11 assists in 59 contests. Injury concerns are a consideration here.
Tyler Motte: He registered 15 points in 58 games and added 2 playoff goals this past season playing a strong checking role for the Rangers. New York raved about his play, but it appears he may have priced himself a little too high in this market. Regardless, someone is going to find a way to sign him before camps open.
