RFA Players Who Could Become Available
from John Lane of NHL.com,
Most restricted free agents can receive an offer sheet from another team. His team can match the offer sheet or receive draft-pick compensation based on its value. Note: Kirill Kaprizov and Quinn Hughes are not eligible to receive an offer sheet from another team and are not included on this list.
Forwards
Tyler Bertuzzi, Detroit Red Wings
Bertuzzi scored seven points (five goals, two assists) in nine games before he was sidelined for the final 47 games with a back injury. The 26-year-old had surgery and is expected to be ready for the start of next season, hoping to return to the form that helped him play in the 2020 NHL All-Star Game and score an NHL career-high 48 points (21 goals, 27 assists) two seasons ago.
Patrik Laine, Columbus Blue Jackets
Laine scored 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists) in 46 games for the Winnipeg Jets and Blue Jackets, 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 45 games after the 23-year-old was traded to Columbus on Jan. 23. The No. 2 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft scored at least 28 goals in each of his first four NHL seasons, including a career-high 44 in 2017-18 that was second behind Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin (49). Laine averaged 0.46 goals per game with the Jets and 0.22 with the Blue Jackets. He was runner-up to Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews for the 2017 Calder Trophy.
Andrei Svechnikov, Carolina Hurricanes
The 21-year-old scored 42 points (15 goals, 27 assists) in 55 regular-season games and eight points (two goals, six assists) in 11 playoff games. The No. 2 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft had NHL career-highs in goals (24), assists (37) and points (61) in 68 games during his second season in 2019-20, shortened due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.
Defensemen
Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres
Dahlin scored 23 points (five goals, 18 assists) in 56 games. The 21-year-old led the Sabres and ranked 15th among NHL defensemen with an average of 20:15 of ice time per game at even strength from April 6 until the end of the season and scored 10 points (three goals, seven assists), best among Buffalo defensemen in that span. The No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft has scored 107 points (18 goals, 89 assists) in 197 games. He scored 44 points (nine goals, 35 assists) in 2018-19 and finished third in Calder Trophy voting.
Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Makar was a finalist for the Norris Trophy as the top defenseman in the NHL, scoring 44 points (eight goals, 36 assists) in 44 regular-season games and 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 10 playoff games. The 22-year-old tied for the lead at the position in game-winning goals (three) and was fourth in power-play points (22; four goals, 18 assists). The No. 4 pick in the 2017 draft won the Calder Trophy in 2020, when he scored 50 points (12 goals, 38 assists) in 57 games, and has scored 94 points (20 goals, 74 assists) in 101 regular-season games and 31 points (seven goals, 24 assists) in 35 playoff games.
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