Top five NHL UFA wingers still available
It’s the dog days of summer, which makes you wonder if we’ve ever had cat days of summer, or another type of domesticated animal paired with a season. Autumn hamsters? Spring bunnies? Or is that last one just Easter?
What are we talking about? Oh yeah, NHL free agency. Most of the big names are signed in the first days of July, then the rest of the summer is spent figuring out which prospects could start the following season with the big club, or if anyone with a year remaining on their contract will be extended long term.
But as always, injuries occur and expectations fall short, meaning opportunity knocks. For some veteran players, that could mean a phone call during training camp, or a last-minute one-year deal signed in the not-too-distant future. With that in mind, here’s five free-agent wingers teams could add ahead of the 2024-25 NHL season.
James van Riemsdyk
James van Riemsdyk played his 1,000th game last season with the Boston Bruins after spending most of his 15-year career with the Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs. His production has decreased in his last two seasons, shrinking to 12 and 11 goals, respectively, but in a limited third- or fourth-line role, van Riemsdyk can provide reliable depth in a deep roster’s forward group.
In 71 games last season, the Middletown, N.J., native recorded 38 points while averaging just 13:30 of ice time. He still has above-average hands and his 6-foot-3 frame is hard to knock off the puck around the net. The one they call “JVR” is well worth a one-year deal for any team looking for another piece in the bottom-six of a championship roster.
Tyler Johnson
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say Tyler Johnson, a 5-foot-8, undrafted winger, has had a successful NHL career. With over 700 regular-season games, nearly 200 goals and over 400 points, not to mention back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021, it’s been gravy for someone who played an overage season in junior.
But after being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks ahead of the 2021-22 campaign, things have taken a turn. A debilitating concussion snuffed out most of his first season in the Windy City, and more injuries and inconsistent play last led to some of the lowest production of his career.
Now a free agent in mid-August, teams may feel any juice from Johnson has already been squeezed. However, one thing you might want to consider: the Blackhawks were not good last season. Below not good. Perhaps a change of scenery, a line with talented players and maybe a spot on a second power-play unit would reignite something in the 34-year-old winger.
Kevin Labanc
Having spent his entire career with the San Jose Sharks, Kevin Labanc once held a fair amount of sway in the team’s organizational depth chart. In 2018-19, he scored 17 goals and 39 assists for 56 points as a 24-year-old, which led to the Sharks inking the 2014 sixth-round pick to a four-year, $18.9 million deal.
However, Labanc never scored more than 33 points over the next four seasons, and in 2023-24, the Staten Island native struggled to stay afloat in a sea of injuries and healthy scratches. Sharks’ General Manager Mike Grier said after the season the team would not re-sign Labanc, meaning the 28-year-old forward is now a free agent.
The upside is teams can sign a player who isn’t 30 and has two seasons of scoring 40 and 56 points, respectively. The downside is you don’t know if his best years are behind him.
Mike Hoffman
Another player from the last-place 2023-24 Sharks, Mike Hoffman has bounced around quite a bit in the last five seasons. After starting his career with the Ottawa Senators, the 2009 fifth-round pick had stops with the Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens and most recently the Sharks.
Very seldom do you see a six-time 20-goal scorer on the free agent market, and having that type of offensive pedigree doesn’t hurt to have on the fourth line. He may have only scored 10 goals last season, but let’s be frank: that Sharks team was horrible, and no one should be judged on what they did (or didn’t) produce.
At worst, you get a capable two-way forward who can handle a regular shift and likely doesn’t mind being a healthy scratch the odd night. No team can make it through the regular season with just 12 forwards. But if you’re lucky, you might see some semblance of the veteran winger who was able to hit the 30-point mark in the three seasons before last.
Max Pacioretty
When it comes to Max Pacioretty, I’ve always had the feeling of what “could” have been, instead of what was. Through 16 seasons, the American winger has scored over 300 goals and nearly 700 points, but injuries and glimpses of stagnation have stunted what could have been an elite NHL career.
Let’s focus on the recent and the now: if you get a healthy Pacioretty, you’re getting a decent two-way game with size that can navigate around the net and still have the ability to make good passes in the offensive zone. Last season with the Washington Capitals, he recorded 11 power-play points in 47 regular-season games, so he could provide some production on a team’s second power-play unit.
Having never won a Stanley Cup championship, you can bet the 35-year-old will be happy to take a depth role with whatever club hopes to play deep into the spring.
