Value of: The remaining RFAs in 2016

[Curufinwe]

15 pretty big names still unsigned: Name, Team, Age, Position, GP, G, A, P.

https://www.capfriendly.com/browse/free-agents/2017/points/all/all/rfa

1. Johnny Gaudreau - Calgary Flames, 22 LW - 79 30 48 78

2. Nikita Kucherov - Tampa Bay Lightning, 23 RW - 77 30 36 66

3. Sean Monahan - Calgary Flames, 21 C - 81 27 36 63

4. Rickard Rakell - Anaheim Ducks, 23 C - 72 20 23 43

5. Rasmus Ristolainen - Buffalo Sabres, 21 D - 82 9 32 41

6. Tobias Rieder - Arizona Coyotes, 23 RW, LW - 82 14 23 37

7. Dmitry Orlov - Washington Capitals, 25 D - 82 8 21 29

8. Valeri Nichushkin - Dallas Stars, 21 RW - 79 9 20 29

9. Hampus Lindholm - Anaheim Ducks, 22 D - 80 10 18 28

10. Ryan Strome - New York Islanders, 23 C, RW - 71 8 20 28

11. Cody Ceci - Ottawa Senators, 22 D - 75 10 16 26

12. Jacob Trouba - Winnipeg Jets, 22 D - 81 6 15 21

13. Reid Boucher - New Jersey Devils, 22 LW - 39 8 11 19

14. Zemgus Girgensons - Buffalo Sabres, 22 C, LW - 71 7 11 18

15. Nikita Nesterov - Tampa Bay Lightning, 23 D - 57 3 6 9

I think all these guys end up staying where they are since GMs seem afraid to use offer sheets, but some of them are going to get huge extensions, particularly 1, 2, 5 and 9.

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[Viqsi]

Given the tiny handful of Sabres fans who kept insisting over and over that Seth Jones was surely going to be offer sheeted and that they therefore had nothing to worry about, I have to admit, seeing Risto still unsigned is rather amusing.

Hopefully Buffalo does get him signed soon, tho. (There's limits to my schadenfreude.)

 

[SLAPSHOT723]

It'll be interesting to see what kind of contract Strome gets. Not too worried.

 

[Curufinwe]

Some of these guys might have the World Cup as their deadline for getting a deal done. It would be risky to go into a tournament without your contract already taken care of.

 

[dracom]

Given the tiny handful of Sabres fans who kept insisting over and over that Seth Jones was surely going to be offer sheeted and that they therefore had nothing to worry about, I have to admit, seeing Risto still unsigned is rather amusing.

Hopefully Buffalo does get him signed soon, tho. (There's limits to my schadenfreude.)

Wait, they were saying Seth Jones was going to be offer sheeted? I thought they had their hearts set on offer sheeting Lindholm. Pretty funny how deadset some Sabres fan were about them offer sheeting certain players for months and yet their best defensemen still isn't even signed.

 

[Maukkis]

Some of these guys might have the World Cup as their deadline for getting a deal done. It would be risky to go into a tournament without your contract already taken care of.

To be exact, the following players: Monahan, Gaudreau, Trouba, Kucherov, Rieder, Orlov, Ristolainen.

 

[Curufinwe]

Thanks for checking exactly who.

I'm still amazed Sweden are so stacked on defense they don't even want Lindholm.

 

[Arthuros]

Thanks for checking exactly who.

I'm still amazed Sweden are so stacked on defense they don't even want Lindholm.

Kronwall almost certainly got in for reputation/leadership.

 

[Maukkis]

Thanks for checking exactly who.

I'm still amazed Sweden are so stacked on defense they don't even want Lindholm.

It's not like they are lacking options. Karlsson, OEL, Hedman is an absolutely incredible core for the defense. When you can say that you pretty much don't need Klingberg or Lindholm, you know you are good anyway.

 

[OilTastic]

Given the tiny handful of Sabres fans who kept insisting over and over that Seth Jones was surely going to be offer sheeted and that they therefore had nothing to worry about, I have to admit, seeing Risto still unsigned is rather amusing.

Hopefully Buffalo does get him signed soon, tho. (There's limits to my schadenfreude.)

don't worry, the Oilers are preparing to offer RFA Ristolainen a 6 year, $50 million contract !

 

[Curufinwe]

It's not like they are lacking options. Karlsson, OEL, Hedman is an absolutely incredible core for the defense. When you can say that you pretty much don't need Klingberg or Lindholm, you know you are good anyway.

And two years ago they didn't want Hedman.

 

[Homesick]

don't worry, the Oilers are preparing to offer RFA Ristolainen a 6 year, $50 million contract !

Not sure if the Oilers are prepared to give up 4 1st round picks just yet. Since Buffalo needs defense as badly as we do they would probably still match

 

[Maukkis]

And two years ago they didn't want Hedman.

Yep. But honestly, that's an unfair defense.

Hedman-Strålman
Hjalmarsson-Karlsson
OEL-Kronwall/Ekholm

If only us Finns had anything nearly as good...

 

[Riptide]

I think all these guys end up staying where they are since GMs seem afraid to use offer sheets, but some of them are going to get huge extensions, particularly 1, 2, 5 and 9.

I think it's less a matter of them being "afraid" vs them rarely seeing players that are A) worth the serious overpayment cap wise that it would take to land them and B) paying the compensation required for said overpayment.

Also it's not like any of those teams are so cap strapped that they couldn't match a mild overpayment. This isn't Boston last year with Hamilton where almost anything he signed would have required them to move out salary to accommodate Hamilton. Sure Anaheim and Arizona likely have an internal budget of sorts, but I doubt it's so strict that they wouldn't match anything half ass reasonable.