Mikael Granlund
The Nashville Predators’ GM, David Poile, will not be well-liked if he loses 29-year-old forward Mikael Granlund to free agency. That’s because he was the team’s best forward all season. Granlund bet on himself prior to the start of the season by signing a one-year deal worth $3.75 million. After notching 13 goals and 27 points in 51 games, he has earned himself a raise. Expect Poile to make Granlund an offer he can’t refuse.
Tyson Barrie
Another player who bet on himself is Tyson Barrie. Just like with Granlund, it was a good decision. The 29-year-old right-shooting defenseman signed a one-year $3.75 million contract to spend the season in Edmonton. He had good numbers there, registering eight goals and 40 assists in 56 games. There is a good chance that Barrie spends this offseason looking to cash in and find himself a more lucrative deal.
Jaroslav Halak
Jaroslav Halak is the other half of the Bruins goaltending tandem. Just like his partner, Rask, Halak is now a UFA. While it’s possible that Boston loses both keepers, they would do well to find a way to extend the pair. Even though Halak is now 36, his numbers suggest that he could still be one of the best backups in the NHL. In 19 games last season, he had a goals-against-average of 2.52 and a save percentage of 0.905. He may be a very good option for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
James Reimer
Former Toronto Maple Leafs goalie, James Reimer, spent the last two seasons with the Hurricanes. He was great as part of a tandem with Petr Mrazek and another former Leaf, Jonathan Bernier. Just like the Bruins, the Canes don’t have any goalies signed for next season. That makes it more likely that Reimer will return to Carolina. The 33-year-old was on a $3.4 million AAV when he took the net for 22 games. Reimer posted a 2.66 goals-against-average and a 0.906 save percentage.
Ryan Dzingel
Ryan Dzingel is coming off the worst season of his NHL career. The Senators traded for him in February, hoping he’d be more like the player he had been in previous seasons. Unfortunately for them, it didn’t happen. Dzingel, at age 29, is a player who can play on a team’s second or third line. There will likely be a few teams willing to take a chance on the forward hoping that he can rebound to be the player he was prior to the bubble.
There are plenty of players that the Toronto Maple Leafs may be interested in acquiring. While some fans have lost faith in GM Kyle Dubas’s negotiation skills, he will hopefully be able to bring in the right talent for his group to succeed next season.