In order for a club to retain the rights to their RFAs, they had to submit the player a qualifying offer equal to the base salary of his last contract by 5 p.m. ET Monday. Many teams would actually prefer to keep some of their non-tendered RFAs, but those players are often arbitration-eligible. If the player files for arbitration, the team risks an adverse salary ruling, which a club is not allowed to opt out of by law unless the cap is $4,538,958 or higher. In other words, once a team is RFA qualified, there is no cost certainty and no refund if the player goes to arbitration. This obviously poses risks for clubs pressed against the salary cap. Any RFA not tendered a qualifying offer can become a UFA on July 13th. With that in mind, here are 10 of the most intriguing untendered free agents, as well as honors.
Dylan Strom
Since arriving in Chicago, Dylan Strome has scored 154 points in 225 games, 56 points per 82 games. It was a big surprise then, that he didn’t qualify at the modest $3.6 million figure, given that the Blackhawks are swimming in cap space. Even if he didn’t factor into the club’s long-term plans, it would have been better for Chicago to come up with a short-term deal and trade him at the deadline rather than let him walk for nothing. Alas, here we are. Strome is a very useful top-six center who should be attractive to teams in need of help in the middle. Since the 2019-20 campaign, Strome has scored 1.92 points per hour at five-on-five, which is a bona fide top-six rate. However, there are yellow flags to keep in mind. For one, Strome’s skating is still sluggish, which makes him a questionable two-way player. Because of this, it needs to be carefully and strategically deployed to succeed. The Blackhawks knew this as they fed Strome a heavy dose of offensive zone starts, played him primarily against top-six matchups and lined up Patrick Kane on his wing for long stretches. Alignment is key: Strome makes a lot of sense for a team in need of an offensively gifted center six on a protected score line.
Dominic Cuban
Kubalik is a one-dimensional scorer, but when you can consistently fill the net, clubs can often overlook those flaws. The 26-year-old Czech left winger has scored 62 goals in 202 career NHL games, which translates to a rate of 25 goals per 82 games. Unfortunately, its results are moving in the wrong direction. Kubalik’s goal and point percentages have dropped in back-to-back seasons, and his playmaking profile has declined as well. One explanatory factor is the lack of help around him. Jonathan Toews, Kubalik’s most common centerman, was still a top-six player in 2019-20 when Kubalik scored 30 goals as a rookie, and Chicago’s captain is not the same player he once was. Kubalik can’t lead a line by himself, so it’s no surprise that his production has dipped without a top center to drive the play for his line. Kubalik may not have the 30-goal upside he shot in 2019-20, as he shot an unsustainably high 19.1 percent that year. But he still offers legitimate 20-25 goal upside in a middle-six role.
Dandon Heinen
Heinen did not receive a QO from the Anaheim Ducks last offseason. now they are in the same situation with the Pittsburgh Penguins. In this case, he was not tendered because he played so well that there was a high risk of an expensive arbitration decision, one the Penguins might not be able to afford given their precarious situation. He was very good, in other words, and he was valued by Pittsburgh. Heinen was a critical source of secondary scoring with 18 goals and 33 points in 76 games. Fifteen of those goals were five-on-five, which tied him with Sidney Crosby for second on the club. That kind of even-strength goal high is obviously something of an outlier, but we’re still talking about a player who has scored at a 36-point-per-82-game clip during his NHL career. In addition to secondary scoring, Heinen was a strong, two-way playmaker who tilted the ice in Pittsburgh’s favor with a lot of positive shooting, scoring opportunities and goal shares. Teams looking for a versatile, scoring and reliable forward in the bottom six should give Heinen a lot of consideration.
Sonny Milano
This is quite amazing. Milano is a creative, talented playmaker who finally established himself with a solid campaign, scoring 14 goals and 34 points in 66 games alongside Trevor Zegras. The 26-year-old’s combination of speed and skill allows him to consistently create controlled entries into the zone and set up teammates for dangerous scoring opportunities. Milano’s work off the bench isn’t perfect, but a look under the hood reveals his two-way profile hasn’t been a problem at all. The Ducks actually controlled a strong 52 percent share of the shot attempts and scoring opportunities during his 5-5-5 minutes last season. Speed and skill are increasingly important in the modern game. In Milan, teams can bid for a cheap player who can offer both.
Ondrej Kaše
After a disappointing 2020-21 campaign that saw him miss all but three games due to injury, Ondřej Kaše put together a nice bounce-back performance last season. The 26-year-old right winger qualifies as a valuable Swiss Army Knife middle-six player — he can score (14 goals and 27 points in 50 games), kill penalties and provide transition assistance with his successful track record in the zone. Health remains the biggest risk with Kaše. He’s gone through the twist with multiple head injuries and has been comfortable for 60+ games in a season only once in his career. The talent is there, but how much will a team commit knowing the health concerns?
Ilya Samsonov
Injuries and inconsistency marred Samsonov’s time with the Capitals, who eventually decided it was time to move on. Samsonov doesn’t have a great record in the NHL, posting just a .903 save percentage in 94 career games. That said, he’s big, athletic, comes with good pedigree as the No. 22 pick in 2015, and is still pretty young at 25. Samsonov can look to a fellow UFA like Jack Campbell as proof of concept for what he’s like. highly touted goalie prospect who has lost his way a bit can get his career back on track. Samsonov could be an interesting upside bet as a No. 2, especially considering how many teams are looking for help in the goaltending market.
Victor Mete
Mete was once an analyst favorite who produced strong results from Montreal’s third pairing. However, he fell out of favor in Quebec and failed to boost his holdings in the nation’s capital, where he campaigned heavily for senators. A fresh start, though, could help the smooth-skating, undersized game find the kind of consistent, positive form that made him a steady two-way presence with the Canadiens. The key with Mete is determining if he’s been misunderstood and underrated or if he was a product of a strong system in Montreal. Some would argue that teams only see him as a power forward with limited offensive upside and overlook his usually strong two-way numbers because he is stereotyped for his smaller stature. Others would say that his work without the puck is really concerning and that his positive results are overrated and a result of a favorable environment in Montreal where many defensemen had good numbers. We’ll have to wait and see which camp is right, but for now, Mete remains an intriguing depth option for a club looking to add mobility and mobility skills.
Nicolas Aube-Kubel
After plying the minors for parts of four seasons, Aube-Kubel finally emerged as an everyday NHLer for the Flyers in the 2019-20 season. He was an immediate success, offering secondary scoring, strong defensive value and an unstoppable motor. Aube-Kubel had penalty trouble in 2020-21, which eroded the confidence he had built, and this year he fell to the Colorado Avalanche. The 26-year-old right-winger is dynamic, quick and an excellent striker. He came up with 11 goals and his ability to recover points led to positive two-way play-driving results. Aube-Kubel doesn’t kill penalties and can be inconsistent, but he’d be worth the dice as a fourth-line contributor who can step up to the third line in a pinch for teams that play an uptempo anticipation style .
Jonathan Dahlen
Dahlen can score and offers genuine potential, but there are flaws in his game that make fit a big key. The Sharks rookie came out of the gate hot, scoring eight goals and 14 points in 26 games through mid-December. From there, he suffered multiple injuries, including upper-body ailments and a concussion, and was twice placed in the COVID-19 protocol. He’s never been able to find his groove again, scoring just eight points in 34 games since Jan. 1, and he’s also been a healthy scratch. He finished the season with 12 goals and 22 points in 61 games. Dahlen excels down low and can finish, but he’s slow, undersized and not the most reliable two-way player. Is he the kind of pinch-hitter who’s talented but not skilled enough to play a consistent role in the middle of the six, and who’s too one-dimensional to provide value further down the lineup? Or were his second-half struggles mostly the result of injuries he’ll be able to put behind him? The 24-year-old is still young enough to make a move, so it could be worth betting on a rebuilding club that has open spots on the roster to provide opportunities.
Ryan Donato
Think of Donato as a toned down version of Kubalik. He has a terrific shot that allows him to score goals in bunches, but he is a polarizing player due to his one-dimensional profile. Donato scored 16…
