NHL Offseason Drama: Key Contract Situations to Watch

Author:

Anastasia Petkov

|Published: June 6th, 2024

With the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers gearing up for the 2024 Stanley Cup Final on Saturday, the offseason has begun for the rest of the NHL's 32 teams.

Here's a look at some under-the-radar contractual situations that could shape the future for several players and teams.

Players at Risk of Not Receiving Qualifying Offers

According to the NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams must extend qualifying offers to restricted free agents (RFAs) by June 30 at 5:00 p.m. ET to retain their rights.

Failure to do so will result in these players being unrestricted free agents (UFAs) on July 1. Here are some key players whose futures are uncertain:

Carter Hart (PHI), Dillon Dube (CGY), Michael McLeod (NJD), Cal Foote (NJD)

Qualifying Offers Due: $4.479 million; $2.4 million; $1.4 million; $840,000

These players took indefinite, voluntary leaves in January before being charged in February for their roles in a sexual assault case involving the 2018 Team Canada World Junior Championship team.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman hinted they might not receive qualifying offers.
Their teams are in limbo, hoping the NHL will intervene to allow retention of their rights without qualifying offers pending judicial outcomes and potential league discipline.

Luke Kunin (San Jose Sharks)

Age: 26
Stats: 77 GP, 11 G, 7 A, 18 Pts
Qualifying Offer Due: $3 million
Kunin hasn't lived up to expectations since being acquired by the Sharks. San Jose could extend a qualifying offer to use him as a trade asset or to meet the salary floor.

Jake Bean (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Age: 25
Stats: 72 GP, 4 G, 9 A, 13 Pts
Qualifying Offer Due: $2.8 million
Bean's price is high for a third-pair defenseman. With young talent emerging, new GM Don Waddell might opt not to keep Bean.

Henry Jokiharju (Buffalo Sabres)

Age: 25
Stats: 74 GP, 3 G, 17 A, 20 Pts
Qualifying Offer Due: $2.6 million
Jokiharju faces stiff competition on the Sabres' blue line. Buffalo might look to trade him rather than lose him for nothing.

RFAs with Risky Arbitration Cases

Some RFAs have arbitration rights, potentially leading to significant salary increases:

Pavel Dorofeyev (Vegas Golden Knights)

Age: 23
Stats: 47 GP, 13 G, 11 A, 24 Pts
Contract Projection: 2 years x $1.53 million
Dorofeyev is a valuable draft pick for Vegas, but the team has limited cap space and key UFAs to retain.

Sam Steel (Dallas Stars)

Age: 26
Stats: 77 GP, 9 G, 15 A, 24 Pts
Contract Projection: 2 years x $1.81 million
Steel bet on himself with a strong season in Dallas. The Stars face tough cap decisions and may struggle to retain him.

Eeli Tolvanen (Seattle Kraken)

Age: 25
Stats: 81 GP, 16 G, 25 A, 41 Pts
Contract Projection: 1 year x $3.2 million
Tolvanen is a key player for Seattle, likely to be re-signed despite the cap challenge.