Free Agent Frenzy is tomorrow on TSN, so keep up with the latest news and rumours from around the league right here on TSN.ca.
Key Links: Trade Tracker Signing Tracker Top 45 Free Agents
Will Bobrovsky reach the market?
The Florida Panthers have been one of the most active teams this off-season but the team’s future in net remains far from certain.
With just one day left before the free-agent market opens, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky remains unsigned and set to become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday.
The Panthers did bring in a new goalie Monday, acquiring Akira Schmid from the Vegas Golden Knights for a third-round pick, but TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports that move was made to fill their backup role with Daniil Tarasov also a pending UFA.
Bobrovsky, who will turn 38 in September, is believed to be seeking a long-term contract which has complicated negotiations with the Panthers. Florida has been linked to Winnipeg Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck, but have been unwilling to part with roster players so far this summer and have little left to offer by way of futures.
Bobrovsky had a 27-23-1 record with the Florida Panthers last season with an .877 save percentage and 3.07 goals-against average.
The 6-foot-2 netminder is coming off a seven-year, $70 million contract that carried a cap hit of $10 million.
The Panthers have already added Brady Tkachuk and Garnet Hathaway this off-season and acquired the rights to pending UFA Radko Gudas from the Anaheim Ducks on Monday in exchange for the rights to AJ Greer, who it was clear would not be re-signed by the club.
The Panthers have just $5.87 million in projected cap space, per PuckPedia, with 20 players under contract for next season. The team is clearing looking to fit Gudas in, but also need to keep space for a goaltender to pair with Schmid.
Centre Anton Lundell is the lone player on the team making $5 million or more that does not have a no-move clause.
Plenty of cap space in Toronto
After years of being up against the salary cap, the Toronto Maple Leafs are flush with space ahead of free agency, owning just shy of $21 million, per PuckPedia, with five roster spots to fill.
The Maple Leafs already made what should be their biggest signing of the off-season, adding Darren Raddysh in a sign-and-trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning on an eight-year, $68 million deal.
Raddysh is part of a blueline overhaul in Toronto that has seen John Chayka move out Simon Benoit and Brandon Carlo while also bringing in restricted free agent Emil Andrae from the Philadelphia Fyers. The team re-signed defenceman Troy Stecher on Monday, keeping him in Toronto after a strong run following being claimed off waivers last season.
It remains unclear if Chayka is done with changes in net after moving out Joseph Woll in the Andrae trade. Currently, Anthony Stolarz and Dennis Hildeby are slated to share the net in Toronto, though Bobrovsky has been floated as a possible target on Wednesday.
The Maple Leafs’ forward group has remained largely unchanged so far, but first overall pick Gavin McKenna is expected to crack the roster next season and the team opted not to qualify winger Matias Maccelli on Monday, allowing him to hit the open market one year after being acquired for a third-round pick.
The future for forward Max Domi remains unclear after he was ruled out indefinitely following complications from off-season surgery. An update is expected to come in training camp, but if Domi is sidelined, it will open another roster spot and potentially another $3.75 million for Toronto to spend.
TSN Director of Scouting weighed in on how the Maple Leafs should spend their open cap space Monday, encouraging the team to be cautious amid a lower-end free-agent class.
Will Robertson stay put?
The Jason Robertson saga continues for the Dallas Stars.
Dallas appeared to have a deal worked out with the Seattle Kraken last week that was contingent on Robertson signing an extension. However, the restricted free agent turned down an eight-year deal that would have paid him $15 million annually.
With trade talks seemingly stalled after that disaster for Seattle, LeBrun reports the Stars and Robertson are still trying to reach a contract talks with an effort to somehow find middle ground.
The Stars currently have just $9.26 million in projected cap space, per PuckPedia, with 20 players under contract for next season. The Stars also have forward Mavrik Bourque to sign as a fellow restricted free agent.
General manager Jim Nill seemed to dismiss any notion that Tyler Seguin could land on LTIR after tearing his ACL in December. Nill said at the draft that Seguin, who is entering the last year of his deal at a $9.85 million, should be back on the ice in training camp.
Robertson, who is arbitration eligible, is coming off a four-year, $31 million contract with a cap hit of $7.75 million.
Robertson led Dallas in scoring last season with 45 goals and 96 points in 82 games. He added five goals and eight points in six postseason games before the Stars were eliminated in the first round by the Minnesota Wild.
Drafted 39th overall by the Stars in 2017, Robertson has 213 goals and 490 points in 456 career games.
