Toronto Maple Leafs: Every Pending UFA in the Central Division
By Jeff Borsuk
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets have the most pending UFAs in the NHL. Along with four RFAs, they will have 11 unrestricted players looking for new contracts.
Cody Eakin
Coming off a contract that paid him $3.85 million per season, Cody Eakin will be looking for a new deal next season. Eakin joined the Jets ahead of this season’s trade deadline. The Jets only needed to give up a fourth-round pick to get him.
Eakin played between Jack Roslovic and Mason Appleton when he first came to Winnipeg but he eventually moved up the roster to get more ice time. Though he won’t be able to pick up the same size contract that the Stars game him, Eakin will earn good money this offseason.
Dmitry Kulikov
Dmitry Kulikov is Winnipeg’s top UFA defenseman. After 11 years in the NHL, the Russian has incredibly posted his best metrics as an NHLer. In 51 games this season, Kulikov posted a Corsi rating of 51.5 which is 2.0 better than his team.
Early in Kulikov’s career, he was used more often on the powerplay. Now, at age 29, he is expected to defend his own zone. Any points that Kulikov is able to accrue is just a bonus.
Dylan DeMelo
A player that will be getting many calls from around the league is Dylan DeMelo. He was expected to be a very important player for the Jets which is why they traded a third-round pick to acquire him from the Senators.
DeMelo was paid just $900k for the season even though he played greater than 20 minutes per night. His strong play and ability to break up the rush will get the 26-year-old a sizable raise next season.
Laurent Brossoit
One of the Jets UFAs happens to be their backup goalie, Laurent Brossoit. Brossoit’s $1.225 million one-year contract turned out to be a generous deal. He played in 19 games and started 15 of them. The British Columbia native had a record of 6-7-1. Through those games, he posted a save percentage of 0.895 and a goal-against-average of 3.28.
Nathan Beaulieu
Nathan Beaulieu is a trusted member of the Jets blueline. He was someone that coach Paul Maurice looked to help log heavier minutes whenever the team was missing players due to injury.
Beaulieu was no stranger to injury himself. He actually sustained three on the season. Despite that, the left shooting defenseman would still put his body on the line to try block shots on a nightly basis. Incredibly, he had 47 blocks in just the 38 games he played this season.
Beaulieu is very popular with his teammates which may make him a desirable target for one of his former clubs of the Montreal Canadiens or Buffalo Sabres. He may also be interested in a return to Winnipeg.
Nick Shore
The Jets took a chance on Nick Shore. When the Toronto Maple Leafs placed him on waivers in December, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff claimed him. While the Toronto Maple Leafs wanted Shore to join the Marlies, he instead hung around the NHL and played 42 games for the Jets.
At the bottom of Winnipeg’s roster, Shore wasn’t overly impactful on the scoresheet. He recorded just a goal and two assists.
Anthony Bitetto
The Jets signed Anthony Bitetto to a one-year league minimum contract. Playing 15:10 a night, Bietto dressed for 51 games this season. He had eight assists and 32 penalty minutes before being sidelined by injury.
Mark Letestu
By the time the NHL shut down the season, Mark Letestu was on the Jets roster. He was a useful player in the league at one point in his career. His best point total was 34 in 2013-14. Now he’s more likely to be seen around the AHL than NHL.
Logan Shaw and Gabriel Bourque
Logan Shaw and Gabriel Bourque are a pair of players who were healthy scratches when the league went on hiatus. While both players are on the Jets’ roster, Shaw spent 16 games playing for the Manitoba Moose.
Bourque hasn’t played in the AHL since the 2017-18 season. This season, he played 52 games for Winnipeg where he scored two goals and four assists. Both he and Shaw could be looking at two-way contracts next season.
Luca Sbisa
Oddly, Luca Sbisa was signed as a free agent by the Ducks and then immediately placed on waivers. Instead of clearing them, he was claimed by Cheveldayoff.
In February, Sbisa began dealing with some injury issues. The defenseman was first held out of the lineup due to an undisclosed ailment. He then returned for a couple of matches before being forced to miss more time with an upper-body injury.
Sbisa was first listed as day-to-day but he hit the IR when it turned out that the injury was more significant than originally suspected. He last played on Feb. 16. This may mean Sbisa hits free agency while on the injured reserve list.
In 44 games this season, Sbisa recorded two goals and eight assists while playing an average of 17:56 minutes of ice time.
dark. Next. Every UFA in the Pacific Division
While you’re now up to date on the Central Division, don’t forget that you can look at this full breakdown for every club around the league.