Free-agent profile of Tanner Pearson

The third week of free agency saw the amount of forward options continue to thin out. Most of the best available names found new homes on the open market or headed overseas. That’s left teams with a remaining UFA class made up almost exclusively of reclamation projects, whether they be youngsters coming off being non-tendered or veterans in the twilight of their careers.

We’ve already examined one of the latter names, James van Riemsdyk, who’s still looking for a new home after a successful year in a depth role with the Bruins. Left-winger Tanner Pearson is another one who is still available.

Pearson began his career with the Kings back in 2013-14 in a depth role, gradually adjusting to NHL minutes after being selected in the first round in 2012. The then 21-year-old didn’t start the season on the NHL roster, instead working his way up to a late-season call-up and earning an everyday role in the lineup by the time the playoffs rolled around. Now in more of a middle-six role, Pearson would turn out to be one of the Kings’ most valuable players that spring, posting 12 points in 24 games despite only seeing around 12 minutes of ice time per night as L.A. won its second Stanley Cup in three years.

The Kitchener, Ontario native continued working his way up the Kings’ lineup, posting a career-high 24 goals in 2016-17 in the final year of a bridge deal. Los Angeles didn’t let the pending RFA go unsigned following his breakout campaign, locking him into a four-year, $15M deal that was rather ill-fated in hindsight. After failing to take a step forward in 2017-18, Pearson began the 2018-19 season with just one assist in 17 games before being shipped out to the Penguins for Carl Hagelin. Pearson’s tenure in Pittsburgh was improved but still forgettable, posting 14 points in 44 games before being traded for the second time that season, this time to the Canucks for Erik Gudbranson.

In Vancouver, Pearson managed to rediscover his game. He ended the season on a tear, doubling his nine goals on the year in just 19 games in a Canucks jersey. Revitalized, Pearson assumed top-six duties in Vancouver in 2019-20, posting a career-high 45 points in 69 games, with his 0.65 points per game smashing his previous career high of 0.55.

Pearson’s performance nosedived in the final season of his contract, though. Despite averaging a career-high 17:04 per game in 2020-21, he was limited to just 10 goals and 18 points in 51 games with a -15 rating. Vancouver still believed Pearson was closer to the player who had broken out for a career-high the year prior, though, extending him for the next three seasons at a $3.25M cap hit.

That deal saw Pearson return to decent middle-six production in 2021-22 (34 points in 68 games). But a hand injury that teammate Quinn Hughes alleged was improperly handled by the Canucks limited him to 14 games in 2022-23, posting a lone goal and four assists. There was a time when some believed Pearson’s career might be over due to the injury, but it became clear during the summer that he would be healthy enough to return to play. It wouldn’t be in Vancouver, though, as they traded him to the Canadiens during training camp in a deal for backup netminder Casey DeSmith.

Pearson remained hampered by unrelated injuries during his time in Montreal, missing nearly 30 games and slipping back down to a decidedly bottom-six role. The Canadiens tried to shop him at this year’s deadline, which would have been the fourth time being traded in his career, but there wasn’t interest. Unsurprisingly, reports as far back as May indicated Montreal wouldn’t bring him back.

Stats

2023-24: 54 GP, 5 G, 8 A, 13 P, -12, 21 PIMs, 12:56 ATOI, 43.5 CF%
Career: 644 GP, 138 G, 147 A, 285 P, -3, 230 PIMs, 15:04 ATOI, 51.4 CF%

Potential Suitors

There haven’t been any specific names linked to Pearson on the open market. With a Stanley Cup ring and over 50 games of playoff experience under his belt, though, there should be a fair amount of interest from postseason hopefuls in Pearson as a low-cost fourth-line option.

A return to the Kings could make sense. The team qualified RFA Arthur Kaliyev, but he’s not expected back in the fall and will likely find a new home via trade. That leaves a vacancy on their fourth line, exacerbated by the departures of Carl Grundström and Blake Lizotte. Even assuming 2019 top-five pick Alex Turcotte makes the jump to the NHL full-time next season, they don’t have enough internal options at forward for consistent NHL minutes.

Other teams in the West looking to make a push for the playoffs next year that could use veteran insurance for their bottom six include the Jets, Predators and Wild. Over in the East, the Bruins, Red Wings and Senators all make a fair bit of sense as well, with some question marks remaining among their depth wingers.

Projected Contract

This late in the month and coming off the worst season of his career by points per game (0.24), there won’t be much of an appetite for anything above a one-year, $1M pact for Pearson. A league minimum deal ($775K) becomes more likely the longer he remains unsigned. He should still be able to land a one-way deal entering his age-32 campaign, but his cap hit will still be buriable in the minors, in all likelihood.