2018 NHL Free Agency Preview: Centres

The NHL Free Agency period opens on Sunday, July 1st and there are a number of big fish on the market. 

Over the course of the week, I will be previewing the top names at each position. Included in each report is the player’s Corsica Player Rating, their Positional Ranking and their Predicted Contract from Matt Cane at HockeyGraphs. 

We also have a free agency big board, where all of the top UFA’s are ranked and I will be updating as they sign their new contracts. 

John Tavares 

Age: 27
Corsica Player Rating: 78.60
Positional Ranking: #25 C
Projected Contract: 8 Years x $10.735M AAV ($85.88M)

Tavares was selected No.1 overall back in 2009 and his Islanders tenure could be coming to an end after nine season. Tavares nearly matched a career-high in goals, assists and points in 2018, recording 37 goals and 47 assists (84 points) in 82 games. Tavares has been a model of durability and consistency over the last four seasons, missing just nine games combined. Over that span, the 27-year-old centre ranked:

• – t-6th in goals (136)
• – 6th in points (306)
• – 8th in shots (1,045)
• – 11th in PPGs (39)
• – 15th in PPP (98)
• – 22nd in assists (170)

Tavares has been one of the most sought after free agents in recent memory and there are a lot teams vying for his services. Two of the teams push hard for him, is his current team, the Islanders and his hometown team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Islanders have improved their stance in recent weeks. First, they hired Lou Lamoriello as their General Manager. Second, they hired Stanley Cup winning head coach Barry Trotz. Third, they had an outstanding NHL Draft. The Isles held the No.11 and No.12 picks and landed two top-10 talents in Oliver Wahlstrom and Noah Dobson, before also drafting projected first-rounder Bode Wilde in the second-round. Could this be enough to woo their captain to stay in Brooklyn?

The entire list of teams expected to be in on Tavares is: Islanders, Leafs, Sharks, Stars, Bruins and potentially Lightning and Predators. 

Joe Thornton

Age: 38
Corsica Player Rating: 76.59
Positional Ranking: #34 C
Projected Contract: 1 Year x $5.416M AAV ($5.416M)

Fresh off of a one-year, $8.0M deal, Thornton hits the market again but it seems likely that he will re-sign with San Jose again. The veteran pivot will likely take a small pay cut, especially if the Sharks plan on landing another free agent—the Sharks are also reportedly in the mix for Tavares. 

Thornton missed the last couple of months of the regular season and did not appear in the playoffs because of an MCL injury. He was on-pace for 23 goals and 40 assists in 82 games, showcasing that he still has the ability to be a top-line centre at 38-years-old. 

Paul Stastny

Age: 32
Corsica Player Rating: 75.91
Positional Ranking: #40 C
Projected Contract: 3 Years x $5.411M AAV ($16.233M)

Stastny was traded to the Jets at the deadline and played great for Winnipeg down the stretch. Stastny had 13 points (4G / 9A) in 19 regular season games and 15 points (6G / 9A) in 17 playoff games. There is reportedly mutual interest between the Jets and Stastny, but there are multiple other teams in the mix. 

The 32-year-old has missed a combined 42 games over the last four seasons, so there are some durability concerns. Despite missing some action, Stastny has averaged 17 goals and 37 assists (54 points) per 82-games over that span. If he can stay healthy, Stastny is a high-end No.2 centre that can help any contender. 

Tyler Bozak

Age: 32
Corsica Player Rating: 73.66
Positional Ranking: #62 C
Projected Contract: 3 Years x $4.379M AAV ($13.137M)

After eight and a half seasons with the Maple Leafs, Bozak may be moving on. Bozak is at the end of a five-year deal that carried a $4.2M cap-hit and he is expected to get a small pay raise. 

Bozak saw his numbers decrease in 2018, scoring just 11 goals with 32 assists (43 points) in 81 games. Bozak is a solid two-centre who skates well and wins face-offs—53.6 percent in 2018. 

Depending on who he signs with, he will either fill-in as a second line centre but may be a No.3 centre if he signs with a contender. Toronto is interested in bringing him back, but it looks like they have some competition. 

Derek Ryan

Age: 31
Corsica Player Rating: 74.09
Positional Ranking: #58 C
Projected Contract: 2 Years x $2.483M AAV ($4.966M)

Ryan is a late-bloomer who wasn’t a full-time NHLer until he was 30-years-old. Ryan posted great numbers in Europe and in the AHL before collecting 15 goals and 23 assists (38 points) in 80 games with the Hurricanes last season. 

Ryan is known as a solid playmaker who has been a great faceoff-man and power-play contributor. Ryan finished in the top-10 in the NHL in face-off percentage last year. 

There are links between Ryan and the Flames, after Calgary hired former Hurricanes’ head coach Bill Peters.