NHL’s top 10 RFAs still unsigned: Latest reports, rumours

NHL insider Chris Johnston joins the Jeff Blair featuring Steve Dangle and Adam Wylde to discuss why trading William Nylander just doesn't fit in with what the Maple Leafs management are doing.

With this summer’s crop of unrestricted free agents picked over like a garage sale come 2 p.m., our attention focuses on the roughly 20 restricted free agents who have yet to come to terms with their respective clubs.

All arbitration cases have now been settled, so the next true pressure point for the remaining unsigned RFAs is the opening day of training camp in September.

Several critical extensions — like those for Minnesota’s Mathew Dumba, Calgary’s Elias Lindholm, Washington’s Tom Wilson, Ottawa’s Mark Stone, and Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck and Jacob Trouba — have already been inked, but there are plenty of intriguing ones on deck.

Here are the 10 we’re most interested to see play out.

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William Nylander
Age: 22
Position: Right wing / Centre
2017-18 salary cap hit: $832,500

Any Leafs fan concerned that Nylander may be dangled as cap-saving trade bait breathed an audible sigh of relief when GM Kyle Dubas said, “We can, and we will” keep all three young studs — Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner and Nylander — in the fold, as well as UFA prize John Tavares. Nylander is coming off back-to-back 61-point seasons and should expect to put up at least that many again in 2018-19 skating on Matthews’ wing. Of the three, he’s the only must-sign this summer. Cap space isn’t an issue yet in Toronto, but Dubas’s first big extension must be made with the forthcoming raises for Marner and Matthews in mind.

“We’ll be very patient,” Dubas told Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek on the 31 Thoughts podcast in early July. “I always think that when a player is going to make a commitment of any length, particularly when they’re signing up long-term, that we need to sit with the player and make sure that the player knows where we’re going as a program and what our vision and our plans are so those are discussions that I’ll have with each of the individual players that are due extensions here or are due contracts for next season.”

Nylander addressed his situation on Aug. 1 at Smashfest.

“Of course, I want long term. That’s what I want to do, but we’ll take it slow, day by day, and see what happens,” Nylander said.

OK, but what if the paperwork isn’t signed when camp opens?

“I’ve not thought about that. That’s between my agent and Kyle. I’m waiting to see what happens,” Nylander replied. “They’re going to negotiate it, so I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”

Noah Hanifin
Age: 21
Position: Defence
2017-18 salary cap hit: $925,000

Defenisvely sound with plenty of runway to improve, Calgary views Hanifin as a long-term upgrade from (or at least a better fit than) Dougie Hamilton. One of the attractive elements of Hamilton, from Carolina’s perspective, is cost certainty. The Flames have already come to terms with Lindholm, the other RFA acquired in their draft-weekend blockbuster, but Hanifin has no arbitration rights. Hanifin is enthused by the trade, and Brad Treliving says he doesn’t foresee an issue coming to an agreement. Hanifin has been penciled in to skate alongside Travis Hamonic in Calgary’s second pairing.

“He’s certainly a priority for us. I’ve been speaking with his representatives regularly. I’d say we’re making progress,” Treliving told Sportsnet 960 on July 25 (listen here). “We’ll get him signed. The fact he doesn’t have arbitration rights doesn’t make him any less of a priority for us.”

With Treliving buying out overpaid forward Troy Bouwer in early August, cap space should not be an issue.

Sam Reinhart
Age: 22
Position: Right wing / Centre
2017-18 salary cap hit: $894,167

The second-overall pick of 2014 has performed better each season of his young NHL career. As with any Sabre not named Jack Eichel, Reinhart has had his name chucked into the trade rumour mill from time to time, but he’s a 25-goal talent who doesn’t miss games and whose ceiling has yet to be reached. With no arbitration rights, does Reinhart push for a bridge deal and bet on further improvement, or does Buffalo want to lock up its last remaining RFA early?

A longer-term deal could compare to those of fellow 2018 RFAs J.T. Miller or Tomas Hertl: an AAV of at least $5 million over at least five seasons. Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News wrote on July 27, however, that the Sabres are more likely interested in pushing Reinhart with a two-year contract.

“I don’t view it as a difficult situation at all,” GM Jason Botterill said back at the NHL Draft. “Hopefully, we’ll look at some different structures in the upcoming weeks and get something done.”

Joshua Morrissey
Age: 23
Position: Defence
2017-18 salary cap hit: $863,333

Ineligible for arbitration, Morrissey has patiently waited his turn for an extension, watching Hellebuyck, Adam Lowry, Brandon Tanev, Nic Petan and Trouba get their money. Morrissey was consistently and quietly excellent for the Jets all season and through the post-season. The big question is, with cap space at premium, is it actually smarter to bet on himself, take a two-year deal and swing for the fences at age 25?

Shea Theodore
Age: 22
Position: Defence
2017-18 salary cap hit: $863,333

Theodore averaged more than 20 minutes per game for the Stanley Cup finalists, and the youngster’s point-every-other-game pace continued deep into spring. He posted 10 points through 20 post-season contests and, barring a big trade, figures to be a top-four Knight for years to come. Theodore was reportedly requested by Ottawa in a trade for Erik Karlsson, but those talks have stalled if not disappeared. Cap space is no issue for the Knights as they look to re-sign Theodore, who does not yet hold arbitration rights.

Ondrej Kase
Age: 22
Position: Right wing
2017-18 salary cap hit: $670,000

The seventh-round gem excelled in a third-line role, making the Pacific Division take note of his sneaky-good talent. A $670,000 cap hit for a 20-goal scorer? “Thank you very much,” said the cap-strapped Ducks. But now that Kase’s contract has expired, the winger is due for a hefty raise — and Bob Murray needs to keep all the young, speedy forwards he’s got. Note that Kase is not eligible for arbitration, so this one could linger. Since bridging RFA D-man Brandon Montour, Anaheim has $8.73 million in projected cap space to ink Kase and one other RFA.

“[T]his is the one time where we have a little leverage. And nowadays when you don’t get very much leverage with the players, you have to take advantage of it. We’ll fight the good fight and be fair with them. But it could go just like with Hampus and Ricky,” Murray told The Athletic in July. The GM was referencing 2016 RFA stalemates with Hampus Lindholm and Rickard Rakell, who both eventually inked team-friendly deals.

Darnell Nurse
Age: 23
Position: Defence
2017-18 salary cap hit: $863,333

Nurse led all Oilers defencemen in scoring last season, although that only took 26 points. Belief among both the player and the club is that there is another level to the defender’s game. That and the fact Edmonton is down to just $4.98 million in cap space — with which Peter Chiarelli must use to sign Nurse and maybe a depth forward — suggests Nurse would be better off going short-term and betting on a breakout year. More power-play minutes could help his wallet.

“They’ve sent us a proposal and we’ll see where that goes,” Nurse’s agent, Anton Thun, told the Edmonton Journal. “I don’t see with their cap space being what it is that they can entice us with much term.

“They bought out Eric Gryba to add another player (50-man protected list), which cut into their cap and they signed the European goalie (Mikko Koskinen) for two-million and change, and that did the same to their cap space.

“If they’ve got $5 million in cap space, it’s not going to be a long-term deal.”

Oilers captain Connor McDavid succinctly reinforced the importance of Nurse’s attendance at camp on Aug. 7: “He’s going to need to be there. I’m not sure the extent of what they’re talking about, but he definitely needs to be there.”

Miles Wood
Age: 22
Position: Left wing
2017-18 salary cap hit: $925,000

The speedy Devils sophomore broke out big-time in 2017-18, scoring 19 goals and 32 points in 76 games despite limited power-play time. Sixteen of Wood’s goals came at even-strength, and his underlying numbers should help the size of his raise. Wood averaged 1.11 goals per 60 minutes played five-on-five, which tied him for 23rd overall in that category. If you’re his agent, you’re hoping Tom Wilson’s contract in Washington helps your case. No arbitration rights here.

Nick Ritchie
Age: 22
Position: Left wing
2017-18 salary cap hit: $894,167

Seeing mostly third-line minutes, Ritchie’s production has been relatively flat over his first two full seasons in the league (28 points in 2016-17, 27 in 2017-18) and he failed to reach the scoreboard in the Ducks’ swift playoff exit. A full year flanking projected centre Adam Henrique could help Ritchie take a step to realizing his top-10-pick potential, and a short-term bet may be in the player’s advantage. Offers between Ritchie’s camp and Ducks GM Bob Murray have been exchanged, while Murray has also said he’s begun working on extensions for John Gibson and Jakob Silfverberg, Anaheim’s two big UFAs in 2019.

Steven Santini
Age: 23
Position: Defence
2017-18 salary cap hit: $925,000

You can never have too many emerging, 20-something, right-shot defencemen in your system, can you? Although he split his time between Albany and New Jersey the past two seasons, Santini averaged an impressive 20:16 ice-time in the 36 big-league games he skated last season — more than Hanifin. He also contributed 10 points.

Santini was given a qualifying offer and contract talks reportedly were underway as of late July.

Other unsigned RFAs: Jordan Schmaltz, Michael McCarron, Kerby Rychel, Hunter Shinkaruk, Matt Puempel, Marek Langhamer, JC Lipon, Nicolas Kerdiles, Kevin Rooney, Eric Comrie

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