2024 NHL Free Agency: Top 10 European UFAs

Credit: KHL

We’ve traveled across Canada. We’ve looked at the college ranks, too.

Next up? Europe.

We’re at the time of year when European pro scouts start to shine. A few notable names move over from the KHL, SHL, or Liiga each year, such as Andrei Kuzmenko two years ago. But most often, we’re talking about late-blooming depth players who come in with something to prove on cheap cap hits.

If it works out? Awesome. But most of the deals are one-year “prove it” contracts anyway, giving the team flexibility if things don’t materialize.

This year’s market isn’t too deep. You’ve got a mix of players that really stood out this season, and other seasoned veterans that are ready to make the move after their deals expired. There won’t be a 50-point scorer out of this group, but the teams that win their services will be getting some strong depth, at least.

Here’s a look at five names to keep an eye on as the European free agent market comes alive in the coming weeks:

Maxim Tsyplakov, RW, 25 (Spartak, KHL)

This is the carrot everyone’s chasing – this year’s Kuzmenko. Tsyplakov is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound winger with Spartak Moskva. He’s having a breakthrough season, scoring a career-best 31 goals and 47 points in 65 games. He struggled over the final few games during the KHL regular season, but he still blew away his personal best of 25 points in a season. Tsyplakov is a good skater, but lacks high-end NHL speed. He won’t win you 1-on-1 battles against quick, smart defenders. Tsyplakov is a finisher, and his ability to drive to the net and win physical battles could be useful in a team’s middle six. There’s size and skill, but he hasn’t shown that in spades before 2023-24 – is he the real deal?

Oscar Eklind, LW, 25 (Lulea, SHL)

There’s plenty of interest in Eklind, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound winger. He had a breakout season with 17 goals and 28 points in 48 games with Lulea while being a real feisty, physical presence. He’s a good skater for his size, which could intrigue NHL teams as a potential bottom-six scoring threat. Eklind’s ability to be a finisher has been beneficial for Lulea, and he’s a good net-front presence who can be difficult to move out of the way. There should be no shortage of teams vying for his services.

Marcus Sylvegård, RW, 24 (Vaxjo, SHL)

Sylvegård might be the most energetic forward on this list. The Vaxjo Lakers forward registered his second consecutive 41-point season while tallying 20 goals for the first time in his career. The 24-year-old puts some significant power behind his wrister and has great hands, too. Interestingly, he went from 61 PIM in 2022-23 to just 10 this year – but he’s definitely not afraid to get spicy. Will his below-average skating hurt his NHL odds? Definitely, but the skill alone is enticing.

Filip Larsson, G, 25 (Leksands, SHL)

If the name sounds familiar, it’s because he was a Detroit Red Wings draft pick eight years ago. Once viewed quite highly, Larsson wasn’t able to build upon a great year at the University of Denver in 2018-19 after turning pro and his rights eventually expired after returning to Sweden a few years later. Larsson has been one of the SHL’s top goaltenders this year, leading the league with five shutouts and a .920 save percentage with Leksands. At 25 and 6-foot-2, he’s got the size teams like and the experience to potentially factor into a team’s backup conversation. He has another year left on his SHL contract, but there’s interest from NHL teams.

Daniil Gutik, RW, 22 (Admiral, KHL)

Passed over in the NHL, Gutik started off strong with Russia’s various junior national team levels before fizzling out once he turned 18. But this year has been huge, with Gutik registering 36 points in 68 games to finish eighth among U-23 skaters. Gutik loves the puck on his stick. He’s an exceptional puckhandler that, despite not being a high-end skater, does a great job of keeping the puck glued to his stick through traffic to get a play moving. Gutik is a bit of a longshot to make it to the NHL due to his lack of footspeed, but at 6-foot-3, he has size and hockey sense to burn.

Jakub Rychlovský, LW, 22 (Bili Tygri, Czechia)

There was some NHL interest a few years ago when Rychlovský was still a draft prospect, but he never really put all the pieces together. But the 21-year-old exploded for 26 goals and 46 points in 51 games with Liberec – a massive step up from his 17 points last year. He also has looked excellent with Czechia’s men’s team in his first experience playing at the senior level. Rychlovský has the best shot out of anyone on this list, too. At 22, he’s still really young and showed he just needed some extra development time to prove himself. He’s not a great playmaker and gets caught making errand passes too often, but with a couple years in the AHL, Rychlovský could develop into a nice depth find.

Arttu Hyry, RW, 22 (Karpat, Liiga)

There’s a lot to like here. Hyry doesn’t do anything exceptional, but he’s a Swiss army knife in the way he can handle just about any situation thrown his way. He’s an animal – built strong, aggressive and quick. Hyry has great top speed that allows him to win puck battles and generate a scoring chance, although he doesn’t project to be much of an offensive threat in the NHL. After a couple of good games with Finland’s national team earlier this year, I hope he gets a chance to shine at the World Championship with NHL scouts in the building – I don’t think it’ll take long for him to ink his first NHL deal.

Christian Heljanko, G, 26 (Tappara, Liiga)

Heljanko is really interesting. He has recently been integrated into Finland’s national team action after a handful of tremendous seasons in Liiga, including a 27-10-11 run with seven shutouts and a .916 save percentage with Tappara this year. He’s not big at 6-foot, but he has established himself as one of Finland’s best players who have stayed stateside over the past half-decade. Could an NHL team give him a shot? Goalies are tricky.

Arto Leppänen, LHD, 25 (Sport, Liiga)

This is one that really intrigues me. Leppänen spent four years in the second-tier Mestis before getting his first shot with a Liiga club, and he didn’t disappoint with a solid 12 goals and 28 points in 55 games – and his first action with the Finnish national team. The offensive defenseman has always had the puck skills to shine, but after some truncated seasons a few years ago, he might be the best skater of anyone on this list. Mix in a great shot and hockey sense and I can see a team adding Leppänen as a depth defenseman with some power-play potential.

Marcus Hardegård, LHD, 27 (Lulea, SHL)

Hardegård is the oldest on the list, so there isn’t much mystery to his game. But one scout recently said, “He’s just always in control – he never looks lost, he knows what he wants to do and makes it happen. He’s just foundationally a solid defender.” From watching him in Euro Hockey Tour action, he showed he never gives up on a play and isn’t content with just following the action. He’s just tough to beat, simple as that.

Other notables: Juuso Mäenpää, C, 21 (Kalpa, Liiga), Waltteri Ignatjew, G, 24 (Mora IK, Allsvenskan), Samuel Johannesson, RHD, 23 (Orebro, SHL), Justin Schutz, LW, 23 (Kolner Haie, DEL), Andrei Chivilyov, C, 24 (SKA St. Petersburg, KHL)

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