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Kevin: These six players would already be signed in normal UFA market |
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Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland once told me years ago he didn't much like a specific player who was making $5 million per season.
"But I love him at $2. 7 million," he said, laughing.
In the salary cap world, player evaluations have to be merged with contract demands.
The lack of available cap space this summer has created a messy salary cap situation for many teams this summer. It's also been problematic for too many players. Nino Niederreiter got a little less than thought he would get. John Klingberg didn't get the multi-year deal he wanted. Nazem Kadri is still unsigned. Everyone understands what is happening.
In this tight marketplace, teams aren't taking chances. They are looking for bargains. They aren't rewarding players for past success.
Here are players who would already be signed in a different market:
1. Nazem Kadri: The tenacious center is one of the most desirable players in the marketplace and he's still a UFA. Some believe he will end up with the New York Islanders. Others believe he may not agree to the Islanders' offer. Nobody believes Kadri will get what he originally wanted. As usual, GM Lou Lamoriello is guarding his plans like they are state secrets. Training camp is just around the corner. This should be sorted out by then.
2. Phil Kessel: It's obvious he's not scorer he once was, but he put up 52 points on a poor Arizona team last season. In the NHL, 50-point scorers are still valuable. Kessel can still contribute. He can still play. In a normal year, some team would have offered him a one-year contract for $3 million. Now he's probably going to have to accept half that. Teams may be reluctant to sign him because they don't want to deal with his consecutive games streak. Teams may not want the public relations complication of keeping him the lineup.
3. Paul Stastny: A contending team is going to land a bargain in Stastny who understands how to play the game the right way. He's valuable in the faceoff circle, on the defensive side of the puck and scored 21 goals last season. Yes, he's 36. But he can still play. Seems like he would be an ideal fit for the Colorado Avalanche if they don't get back into the Kadri sweepstakes.
4. Sam Gagner: It's baffling that he isn't signed. He earned less than a $1 million last season and wouldn't expect much more this season. He can kill penalties, play a strong defensive game and scored 13 goals last season. He's a high character player, popular with teammates and a natural leader. Why hasn't Toronto or Edmonton figured out a way to bring him aboard to play in the bottom six?
5. Evan Rodrigues: Inexpensive option for secondary scoring. Scored 19 goals last season. Seems like a good fit for the Vegas Golden Knights. They need help on the wing.
6. P.K. Subban: He might be looking a record decrease for average salary. He's going to go from $9 million to an embarrassingly low number. A contender is going to take a chance on Subban, hoping they get a motivated player who will rediscover a higher level of play.
Blogger •HHOF Writer's column on the NHL • 
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