New York. Could Erik Carlson be three straight away?
Where do stars like Patrick Kane, Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko go?
And in which clubs do Swedish celebrities John Klingberg, Oliver Ekman-Larson and Gustav Nyquist end up?
These are some of the questions we hope will be answered when the NHL opens up so-called free agency tonight.
The Stanley Cup Finals are decided, the individual awards are handed out and two days ago the next generation of stars in the draft was drafted in Nashville.
But no, the NHL is not yet ready to take a summer vacation. First, the free agency race must be completed on Saturday.
Starting at 18.00 tonight, Swedish time, the 32 teams can start recruiting so-called free agents – players who do not have a club, either because the contracts they played for expired after last season or because they were bought out.
Will Erik Carlson succeed for three years in San Jose?
At the same time, it is not excluded that the thread market will explode. Many need wiggle room under the salary cap, and more than one superstar with a year or more left on their current contract has indicated they want to relocate if possible.
The big question, not just from a blue-and-yellow perspective, is whether the San Jose Sharks have managed to dethrone new Norris Trophy winner Erik Carlson already now.
Everyone involved really wants it; Eric himself – he was extraordinarily clear on that point during the awards show at the start of the week – and the Sharks and several other clubs. The problem is that he has four years remaining on a contract that no one with the potential to win him in the coming years can simply take over. Exceptional creativity is required – in several areas. But as the saying goes: Where there is a will, there is also a solution…
Winnipeg goalkeeper Connor Helbwick, Ottawa’s Alex DeBrinkat and several Calgary Flames heavyweights, including Elias Lindholm and Mikael Backlund, are also subject to the three rumours.
Lots of high animals
Even more urgent, however, is that free agents get their name in new contracts and among them are plenty of big animals. Patrick Kane, for example. After sixteen glorious seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, last spring they agreed to trade him to the New York Rangers, sure the Rangers would like to keep him but just can’t. So if he can resolve his broken hips, his career will continue elsewhere. buffalo moon? come from there. The situation is similar to St. Code Louis Vladimir Tarasenko – also a Rangers player in the last month of the regular season. Could a return to the blues be on paper?
Ryan O’Reilly, Patrice Bergeron, Jonathan Toews, Fredrik Andersen, Dimitri Orloff, Max Pacioretty, Tristan Jarry, James Van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bertuzzi are some others who may be in the thick of it tonight.,
At the same time, we have a number of Swedes looking for new club titles. Oliver Ekman-Larson, which Vancouver recently bought, is one and John Klingberg is another. After last year’s mess, when the process took much longer than he intended, the star running back from Lerum is said to be eager for a quicker solution now — and there’s buzz around both Seattle and the Carolinas. While Gustav Nyquist, who with Klingberg, among others, formed a new Swedish colony in Minnesota in the spring, may return to Detroit again.
Jesper Fast (Carolina), Matthias Janmark (Edmonton), Fabian Zetterlund (San Jose) and Jakob Peterson (San Jose) all had new contract extensions with their clubs already during Friday.
Some guys are out on the free agent market at 6pm tonight
• Patrick Kane, FB, Chicago Black Hawks / New York Rangers
• Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks
• Ryan O’Reilly, C, St. Louis Blues / Toronto Maple Leafs
• Vladimir Tarasenko, F, St. Louis Blues / New York Rangers
• John Kellenberg, B, Anaheim Ducks / Minnesota Wild
• Oliver Ekman-Larson, B, Vancouver Canucks
• Patrice Bergeron, C, Boston Bruins*
• David Krejci, c, Boston Bruins
• Frederick Anderson, MV, Carolina Hurricane
• Blake Wheeler, F, Winnipeg Jets
• Matt Duchene, Center, Nashville Predators
• Alex Killorn, J, Tampa Bay Lightning
• Max Pacioretty, Carolina Hurricanes
• Dimitri Orlov, B, Boston Bruins
• Gustav Nyquist, F, Columbus Blue Jackets/Minnesota Wild
• Kailer Yamamoto, f, Edmonton Oilers
• Milan Lucic, F, Calgary Flames
• Max Dumy, FB, Chicago Blackhawks/Dallas Stars
• Matt Dumba, B, Minnesota
• Tristan Jarry, MV, Pittsburgh Penguins
• JT Compher, c, Colorado Avalanche
• Oscar Sundqvist, F, Detroit Red Wings/Minnesota Wild
• Alex Adler, B, Los Angeles Kings
• Lars Eller, J, Washington Capitals / Colorado Avalanche
• Thomas Tatar, New Jersey Devils
• Miles Wood, F, New Jersey Devils
• Radko Judas, B, Florida Panthers
• Michael Bunting, f, Toronto Maple Leafs
• Alex Kerfoot, C, Toronto Maple Leafs
• Semyon Varlamov, MV, New York Islanders
• Jaroslav Halek, MV, New York Rangers
• Jonathan Quick, MV, Los Angeles Kings/Vegas Golden Knights
• Phil Kessel, Vegas Golden Knights
• Pierre Engvall, B, Toronto Maple Leafs / New York Islanders
• Erik Gustafson, B, Washington Capitals / Toronto Maple Leafs
• Carl Hagelin, F, Washington Capitals
• Patrick Nemeth, B, Arizona Coyotes
• Robert Haag, B, Detroit Red Wings
• Andreas Johnson, F, New Jersey Devils/San Jose Sharks
• Jesper Frödén, F, Seattle Kraken
• Magnus Hellberg, mv, Detroit Red Wings
(*The only question regarding Bergeron is whether or not he will continue at Burton. If not, he will definitely leave)