2023 NHL Offseason: Top 10 NHL Free Agents

The 2023 NHL Offseason is underway as the Vegas Golden Knights were crowned Stanley Cup Champions. Rumors are with the NHL Draft is just under a week away. We have seen the Columbus Blue Jackets get in on trades acquiring Damon Severson from New Jersey and Ivan Provorov from Philadelphia as part of a three-team trade. There could be more to come as the countdown to the start of NHL free agency. This year free agency is back to the normal day of July 1st and the crop this year is not as good as in years past. Teams with salary-cap space will look to add a name or two to make improvements to go on a run at the Stanley Cup next season. Contending teams will look to keep what they have in a cap world. Time to dive into the Top 10 NHL free agents this off-season.

Here are the Top 10 NHL Free Agents this offseason

1) Ivan Barbashev

UPDATE: The Vegas Golden Knights re-signed Ivan Barbashev to a five-year, $25 million contract.

The first name on the list has to be Ivan Barbashev. We all saw what he did in the Stanley Cup Playoffs after being acquired by the Golden Knights. He has a reasonable salary cap hit at $2.5 million. Expect that to go up around $4 million to $4.5 million a season. It could go even higher. Barbashev was the missing piece for the Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault line in the playoffs for the Golden Knights. The two-time Stanley Cup champion will demand a market. Barbashev showed he can play in the top six and recorded 45 points during the regular season. In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Barbashev added another 18 points (seven goals and 11 assists). Some of those seven goals were back-breaking goals to allow Vegas to win their series.

2) Dmitry Orlov

The defenceman took the Boston Bruins by storm coming over at the trade deadline. He is looking for a long-term extension for big money, something the Washington Capitals did not want to give him. In Boston, Dmitry Orlov earned the nickname Dmitry “Bobby Orrlov” after he recorded multi-points in his first several games with the Bruins. Orlov will log the most minutes of the free agent defenceman available playing both sides of the ice really well. With the Bruins up against the salary cap and other players, they need to re-sign, Orlov will be gone as the market will set his price and he will get paid.

3) Tyler Bertuzzi

Another player that is high on the list is Tyler Bertuzzi. Bertuzzi was also acquired by the Bruins at the NHL Trade Deadline. He had an impact right away with the Bruins. He slotted in perfectly inside the middle to bottom six for the Bruins. Now Boston will try to re-sign him, but he could get a hefty pay raise that could price the Bruins out of the market unless they move a player. Bertuzzi made an impact in the playoffs recording 10 points in seven games. That was his first trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That alone will make him a valuable player on the market.

4) Vladimir Tarasenko

The New York Rangers to a gamble on Vladimir Tarasenko and it paid off for the most part. He played well for the Blueshirts. Tarasenko was one of the players acquired before the deadline by the Rangers. He fit in nicely with them and made an impact. It appears Tarasenko wants to come back to the Rangers, but the question is can the Rangers afford him? There will be a market for Tarasenko. He can still score goals and is a threat on the power play. With the Rangers looking to get the younger players more involved and the question of dollars, Tarasenko may find himself on a new team unless he takes a pay cut to stay.

5) Ryan O’Reilly

Another trade deadline acquisition was Ryan O’Reilly. The Toronto Maple Leafs had a busy trade deadline. O’Reilly was one of those players the Leafs got. Again another impact player and the right guy for the room. It will be interesting to see what he commands on the market with a weak center group this off-season. O’Reilly is coming off a contract that paid him $7.5 million a season. The Maple Leafs are talking to O’Reilly’s camp about an extension both sides seem open to it. However, it would have to come in under cost for the Stanley Cup Champion center. If he wants a big contract he may end up elsewhere, but O’Reilly wants to contend for a Stanley Cup that’s for sure.

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6) Matt Dumba

One of the top defenceman remains on the board. With Damon Severson traded to Columbus, Matt Dumba will command a market. It seems like only yesterday when he signed that five-year, $30 million deal with the Minnesota Wild to stay. Now, it appears he is on the way out. Dumba’s ability will get him a nice raise. Not to mention, Dumba is under 30, in his prime years and is a right-shot defenceman that plays 21 minutes a night. Those are hard to come by. While general manager Bill Guerin would like to get something for him in a trade, he is probably walking into free agency with the money trucks backing up to him.

7) Michael Bunting

Another interesting case in Toronto is Michael Bunting. Bunting is a solid player that can play anywhere in the lineup. He was also brought in to play with Auston Matthews to get to the gritty areas on the ice. He is on a reasonable contract at $950,000, however, that is going to change. With back-to-back 23-goal seasons for Bunting and a Calder Trophy nomination, he knows his worth. The Maple Leafs are up against the salary cap, and Bunting can’t ask for the moon and stars. He will get a nice pay raise in the $2 million range maybe more, but if he wants to stay in Toronto he can’t ask for more. He wants to stay to keep his AAV down, but again the cap crunch is real.

8) Alex Killorn

Another player that could feel the cap crunch is Alex Killorn of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning themselves are feeling the salary cap strain. Killorn could be the next guy to exit that dynasty team as he hits the open market. Killorn can play both wings and was coming off a contract with a reason AAV of $4.45 million. Killorn is coming off a career 27-goal and 64-point season. With the Lightning needing to sign players like Ross Colton and Tanner Jeannot, this leaves Killorn on the outside looking in. Again it will come down to money and the length of the deal as Killorn is 33 years old.

9) Max Domi

Max Domi has bounced around the league recently signing one-year deals. He found a home with the Dallas Stars after the trade deadline. The Stars want to bring him back and Domi wants to come back, but like most teams are up against the salary cap. Domi’s current contract pays him $3 million a season. Domi put up another 20-goal campaign and 56 points. He also recorded 13 points in 19 playoff games. So there will be a market for his services because he plays with an edge.

10) John Klingberg

Another defenceman that is on the board is John Klingberg. Klingberg finished with 33 points between the Anaheim Ducks and the Wild. He had four points in the playoffs as well. He cashed in on a one-year deal last year and was traded at the deadline. If contenders can’t fit him in during free agency, does he play that game again this year with the salary cap going up next season? He is still a good defenceman and teams need defence.

Other Notable NHL Free Agents

Before we get into the all notable free agents this summer, it should be of note that Patrick Kane, Patrice Bergeron, and David Krejci, could all be in the Top 10 if there was not so much uncertainty around them. Kane will be out for 4-6 months because of hip resurfacing surgery. Bergeron and Krejci are taking their time with their decisions. It is Boston or retirement for both players.

Now onto the list of other notable NHL Free Agents which includes Oliver Ekman-Larsson, J.T. Compher, Tristan Jarry, James van Riemsdyk, Erik Johnson, Jason Zucker, Frederik Andersen, Adin Hill, Antti Raanta, Shayne Gostisbehere, Evgenii Dadonov, Jordan Staal, Gustav Nyquist, and Semyon Varlamov. Not to mention other names that are out there.

UPDATE: ADD MATT DUCHENE AND BLAKE WHEELER TO THE LIST OF NOTABLE FREE AGENTS AFTER THE BUYOUTS AND RFA PLAYERS NOT QUALIFIED

Keep locked into Full Press NHL as the NHL offseason gets underway for the latest trades and free-agent signings.