The Free Agent Frenzy class of 2018 is a three-headed monster, stacked with impact players John Tavares, John Carlson and James van Riemsdyk at the top – potentially making this group one of the most powerful in years.
The only question is: Will it remain that way up until Canada Day?
Lou Lamoriello’s arrival on Long Island, coupled with his clandestine meeting with Tavares before the announcement of his hiring as New York’s president of hockey operations, has renewed speculation about J.T.’s interest in staying with the Islanders.
It’s clear that locking up Tavares is Lamoriello’s first, second and third priority. Lamoriello and Tavares’ agent, Pat Brisson of CAA Sports, have been in near daily contact since Lamoriello took over on May 22.
Tavares, a two-time Hart Trophy finalist, is coming off his best season since 2014-15 with a career-high 37 goals and 84 points. That still wasn’t enough to push the Islanders into the playoffs, who have qualified just three times in his nine seasons. The key for Lamoriello is instilling a belief in Tavares that he can win with the Islanders.
Having gone this far, though, many believe Tavares will at least wait until June 24 to hear pitches from interested parties. The San Jose Sharks, Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights and New Jersey Devils are among the upwards of a dozen teams that would be lining up to meet with Tavares’ camp.
Tavares’ close friend, Steven Stamkos, danced through that courting process before deciding to re-sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning on June 29, 2016 – two days before he was set to become an unrestricted free agent.
The Washington Capitals will make a similar effort as the Islanders to keep Carlson, the premier defenceman on the market this summer. He won’t come cheap, not after leading all defencemen in scoring with 68 points, but a lot of Washington’s success runs off his stick.
Van Riemsdyk is the one player near the top of the list virtually guaranteed to actually hit the market. He’s coming off a career-best 36-goal season despite playing fewer minutes than any year since 2010-11. Van Riemsdyk, 29, is one of the best net-front players in the NHL and was well-respected by the Maple Leafs for how well he takes care of his body. He has averaged 31 goals over each of his last four full seasons.
Here are the Top 50 unrestricted free agents expected to be available on July 1, sans veteran Joe Thornton, who has stated his strong desire to remain in San Jose:
1. John Tavares NYI
2. John Carlson WSH
3. James van Riemsdyk TOR
4. Paul Stastny WPG
5. James Neal VGK
6. Ilya Kovalchuk KHL
7. Tyler Bozak TOR
8. David Perron VGK
9. Mike Green DET
10. Rick Nash BOS
11. Carter Hutton STL
12. Thomas Vanek CBJ
13. Patrick Maroon NJD
14. Riley Nash BOS
15. Derek Ryan CAR
16. Anton Khudobin BOS
17. Jack Johnson CBJ
18. Ian Cole CBJ
19. Michael Grabner NJD
20. Leo Komarov TOR
21. Thomas Hickey NYI
21. Kyle Brodziak STL
22. Jonathan Bernier COL
23. Valtteri Filppula PHI
24. Matt Calvert CBJ
25. Tomas Plekanec TOR
26. Dan Hamhuis DAL
27. Blake Comeau COL
28. Calvin De Haan NYI
29. Jay Beagle WSH
30. Chris Kunitz TBL
31. John Moore NJD
32. Mark Letestu CBJ
33. Greg Pateryn DAL
34. Kevin Connauton ARI
35. Brian Gibbons NJD
36. Ryan Reaves VGK
37. Tim Schaller BOS
38. Luca Sbisa VGK
39. Nick Holden BOS
40. Brandon Manning PHI
41. Christian Folin LAK
42. Antoine Vermette ANA
43. Antoine Roussel DAL
44. Derek Grant ANA
45. Chris Wideman OTT
46. Jaroslav Halak NYI
47. Ondrej Pavelec NYR
48. Alexei Emelin NSH
49. Roman Polak TOR
50. Michael Hutchinson WPG
