Free Agency Power Rankings: The top 20 players on the market

1. ERIK KARLSSON
AGE:29POS:D
2018-19 CAP HIT: $6.5m
The exciting 2019 UFA class offers tremendous skill and depth at forward – but precious few top-end defense options. Karlsson is significantly more valuable than the next-best blueliner, and he’s a right-handed shot, so he’s set up for massive demand at a premium position. That’s before we factor in the two Norris Trophies, four first-team all-star nods and a growing Hall of Fame resume.

Though his body has worn down in recent seasons, he’ll easily be the best UFA defenseman of the cap era if he makes it to market. He should command a max-term deal – eight years with San Jose, seven elsewhere – at Drew Doughty’s $11-million AAV.

Best Fits: SJ, NYR, VEG

2. ARTEMI PANARIN
AGE:27POS:LW
2018-19 CAP HIT:$6m
‘The Bread Man’ averaged 81 games, 29 goals and 80 points in his first four NHL seasons, with excellent two-way play mixed in. He’s developed into a winger version of Pavel Datsyuk. Given Panarin’s all-around play and remarkable consistency year to year, he’s about to get very rich.

Last season, John Tavares became arguably the best forward ever to reach the open market, and Panarin isn’t far behind. He should start an enormous bidding war – if not at the “hold court for pitch meetings” level, just a step below – and command an AAV in the $10-million range. Ranking eighth in scoring since he entered the NHL in 2015-16, he’s worth every penny.

Best Fits: FLA, CHI, NYR

3. SERGEI BOBROVSKY
AGE:30POS:G
2018-19 CAP HIT:$7.43m
Bobrovsky’s regular-season work has always screamed “monster UFA payday.” He has two Vezina Trophies, he’s led the NHL in goals saved above average twice, and he holds a .921 save percentage over his seven seasons as Columbus’ starting netminder.

‘Playoff Bob’ was a creature from another planet, posting a hideous .891 career save percentage. The sample size, however, was just 24 games. He tore off the choker label this spring, maintaining ‘Regular Season Bob’ dominance and helping the Jackets win their first playoff series in franchise history. Having erased his lone question mark, he should at least duplicate his $7.43-million AAV on a multi-year deal.

Best Fits: FLA, CGY, CLB

4. MATT DUCHENE
AGE:28POS:C
2018-19 CAP HIT: $6m
Like Bobrovsky, Duchene used the playoffs as a springboard to boost his market value. He struggled after the Ottawa Senators traded him to the Blue Jackets in February, netting four goals and 12 points in 23 games, but he rediscovered his touch in the playoffs.

Even if he hadn’t, Duchene was going to secure any contract term he wanted and a salary north of $8 million. He’s the top center on the market, the only one who can play on a No. 1 line, and possesses blazing speed. His 31 goals were a career high, and he’s an above-average faceoff man. He has spoken glowingly about his time with the Blue Jackets and is the most likely of ‘The Columbus Three’ to re-sign.

Best Fits:CLB, NSH, MTL

5. JEFF SKINNER
AGE:27POS:LW
2018-19 CAP HIT:$5.73m
Skinner is technically a grizzled vet after nine seasons, across which he’s scored the 13th-most goals in the league. And yet, because he debuted at 18, he’s young by UFA standards. He also happens to be fresh off a career-best 40 goals. Skinner won’t come cheap.

Whether he matches his 2018-19 production depends on where he lands. It’s no coincidence Skinner peaked skating with the best center he’s ever had: Jack Eichel. The Sabres want him back and have oodles of cap space. He stated at season’s end that he needed time to think about his decision, however. Skinner still hasn’t competed in a playoff game, and Buffalo is no lock to make it next season.

Best Fits:BUF, NYI, COL

6. JOE PAVELSKI
AGE:34POS:C
2018-19 CAP HIT: $6m
In a story in The Hockey News earlier this season, Sharks captain Pavelski raved about living in San Jose and playing for Doug Wilson, a GM committed to putting a winner on the ice every year. Pavelski, then, seems highly interested in re-signing.

The Sharks should want him back from a hockey perspective, as he notched 38 goals in 2018-19 while providing leadership and flexibility at center and right wing. Financially, though, it’s questionable if he fits. The Sharks must decide on re-signing half a dozen high-impact free agents (see pg. 53). If Pavelski walks, he’ll have no trouble finding work as a “final piece” type of player on another contender.

Best Fits: SJ, PHI, NYI

7. KEVIN HAYES
AGE:27POS:C
2018-19 CAP HIT: $5.18m
Who wouldn’t want a 6-foot-5 center who scores, kills penalties and can drive a second or third line? Teams will line up for Hayes. He was long considered a solid 200-foot center who moved well for a big man, but he also played the strongest offensive hockey of his career in 2018-19, amassing a personal-best 55 points.

The Jets still need what he brings but are buried in RFA contracts to sign, so they’ll be hard-pressed to keep him, just as they were with Paul Stastny last year. Keep an eye on the Flyers, whose new coach, Alain Vigneault, shepherded Hayes for four seasons with the Rangers. A team consistently lacking forward depth such as Dallas could use Hayes, too.

Best Fits:PHI, DAL, WPG

8. ANDERS LEE
AGE:28POS:LW
2018-19 CAP HIT: $3.75m
Not surprisingly, he dropped out of the 40-goal tier with Tavares gone, but Lee’s 28 goals still led the Islanders. He’s athletic, with a nice touch around the net, and he has quickly become a fan favorite. There’s simply no way GM Lou Lamoriello loses his team’s captain two summers in a row, is there?

It would thus be a massive upset if Lee doesn’t wear an Isles jersey in 2019-20. Still, should he test the market, his size and scoring ability would attract plenty of interest. Among the 147 left wingers to play at least 1,000 minutes at 5-on-5 the past three seasons, Lee ranks seventh in goals per 60 minutes, one spot behind Alex Ovechkin.

Best Fits:NYI, MIN, NJ

9. JAKE GARDINER
AGE:28POS:D
2018-19 CAP HIT:$4.05m
Gardiner is 2019’s most polarizing UFA. The detractors, a.k.a. Eye Test Nation, will point to his highlight-reel turnovers, visible lack of confidence and sometimes emotional post-game interviews, indicating the pressure of playing in Toronto ate him up.

The pro-Gardiner crowd, a.k.a. Spreadsheet Nation, feels Gardiner’s analytics show a player whose impact across eight seasons as a Leaf was far more positive than negative. He was a driver of play offensively and adequate defensively. Even if he and the Leafs want to reunite, however, they can’t afford him. He’s the top left-handed ‘D’ on the market despite back woes plaguing him late in the season.

Best Fits:STL, MIN, LA

10. ROBIN LEHNER
AGE:27POS: G
2018-19 CAP HIT: $1.5m
Lehner’s talent was never in question. Dating back to his days as a Sens prospect, he was always projected to be a star. It took longer than expected, but he got there. The first step was courageously coming to terms with his bipolar disorder. The second was signing with the Isles and receiving guidance under goalie guru Mitch Korn, the mind behind Dominik Hasek, Pekka Rinne and Braden Holtby.

Lehner blossomed into a beast in 2018-19, operating on the strong side of a platoon with Thomas Greiss. After posting a .930 SP in 46 appearances, he has earned starter’s money. It’s tough to imagine him leaving the place that revived his career.

Best Fits:NYI, CGY, CLB

11. MATS ZUCCARELLO
AGE:31POS:RW
2018-19 CAP HIT: $4.5m
On Jan. 1, Zuccarello had four goals and 14 points in 25 games on a Rangers team going nowhere. It appeared he’d torpedoed his value at the worst possible time. So much has happened since then. He caught fire with 23 points in his next 21 games, wound up traded to Dallas at the deadline, broke his arm during a highly productive first game, then returned in time for the playoffs, where he made a massive impact. Whew.

Zuccarello is a catalyst. He’s not a franchise-pillar signing, but his feisty, silky-handed game can boost any contender’s depth. He fit great with the Stars but will cost them a 2020 first-round pick as a trade condition if he re-signs.

Best Fits:DAL, EDM, PHI

12. JORDAN EBERLE
AGE:29POS:RW
2018-19 CAP HIT: $6m
Signing Eberle is a complex decision for the Islanders or any new suitor. He’s long been a highly skilled player. He played his best hockey in years during the 2019 playoffs. He’s shown good chemistry with Mathew Barzal. Whoever signs Eberle gets a capable scoring-line winger with great hands.

Eberle also just endured his worst regular season to date, setting career lows in goals per game, assists per game and points per game. But he left a good impression on the Islanders with his strong finish, so they’ll at least consider bringing him back. If not, Eberle would fit nicely on an offense-starved team that could give him ample power-play time.

Best Fits:ARI, NSH, NYI

13. MICHEAL FERLAND
AGE:27POS:LW
2018-19 CAP HIT:$1.75m
Speed and skill reign far more than they used to, but as the 2019 playoffs showed us, big, brawny players still have a place in the game. Ferland brings a heavy forecheck at 220 pounds and mixes in goal-scoring ability, making him a throwback power forward. Among 574 skaters who played at least 500 minutes at 5-on-5, Ferland ranked 51st in shots per 60 minutes.

His style of play also takes a lot out of him. It wasn’t just that he missed 11 games – it’s that they were spread out across five separate absences. Some bruising forwards decline suddenly in their 30s – David Backes, for instance – so a max-term deal for Ferland would be a gamble.

Best Fits: TB, CGY, PIT

14. TYLER MYERS
AGE:29POS:D
2018-19 CAP HIT:$5.5m
Myers was on a star trajectory when he captured the Calder Trophy in 2009-10. He never got there but settled in as a useful middle-pair guy. Only Zdeno Chara can match or exceed Myers’ wingspan at 6-foot-8, and Myers is plenty mobile for his size, although he doesn’t muscle opponents as much as he could.

Only 40 percent of NHL defensemen shoot right-handed, and Myers is the second-best UFA righty available. The term and cap number on his next deal thus might look like “overpays.” It won’t be his fault. High demand and low supply will force his suitors to outbid each other. Even if Myers isn’t a $5.5-million player, he could earn that AAV again.

Best Fits: TB, EDM, TOR

15. GUSTAV NYQUIST
AGE:29POS:RW
2018-19 CAP HIT:$4.75m
Remember 2013-14, when Nyquist bagged 28 goals in 57 games? It turned out to be his high-water mark. Elite sniper he ain’t, but he’s made a good career as a talented secondary scorer. The Sharks have a ton to do this off-season, deciding on UFAs Karlsson, Pavelski and Joe Thornton and working out deals for RFAs Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc, so Nyquist appears to be a one-off rental.

He’s a good fit for mid-range contenders needing to improve their scoring depth. If the Stars, for instance, were to ink Nyquist instead of Zuccarello, it would merely cost money instead of a first-round pick. Nyquist can score in bunches if paired with a high-end center.

Best Fits:DAL, MTL, NJ

16. ALEXANDER EDLER
AGE:33POS:D
2018-19 CAP HIT: $5m
Edler would’ve been an attractive rental piece for Vancouver to sell at the trade deadline, but no deal was close to happening. He did not want to waive his no-trade clause, and an injury sustained weeks before the deadline clouded his status anyway.

The Canucks obviously have the inside track to sign him as a UFA. Both sides desire a reunion. Edler, a steady, well-rounded minute-muncher who sacrifices his body, is an ideal mentor for first-round blueliners Quinn Hughes and Olli Juolevi. One potential snafu in re-upping Edler: he might want another no-trade clause to prevent him being claimed by Seattle in the 2021 expansion draft when he’s 35.

Best Fits:VAN

17. JOE THORNTON
AGE:39POS:C
2018-19 CAP HIT: $5m
Because ‘Jumbo’ is a cerebral player who uses his size well and doesn’t rely on speed to be effective, his game has aged beautifully. His 51 points were the most by a 39-year-old since Martin St-Louis had 52 four years ago. Thornton won 52.7 percent of his faceoffs and, among 365 forwards who logged at least 500 minutes at 5-on-5, he ranked fourth in Corsi Against per 60 minutes. He’s still an outstanding defensive forward.

If Thornton returns, it will be as a Shark and only a Shark. He’s earned the Chara treatment. Will Thornton return, though? He’s still good enough. But retiring would also help the Sharks avoid some agonizing cap decisions.

Best Fits:SJ

18. PETR MRAZEK
AGE:27POS:G
2018-19 CAP HIT:$1.5m
Mrazek’s star fell in Detroit and Philadelphia after he showed a ton of promise early in his career. The Hurricanes took a chance on him and eventually looked like geniuses. Mrazek was as good as any goalie in the league after the all-star break, going 13-4-0 with a 1.83 goals-against average, .938 SP and three shutouts.

He was steady in Round 1 of the playoffs, helping Carolina upset the defending champion Washington Capitals in seven games, before an injury felled him in Round 2. Mrazek’s situation is similar to Lehner’s in that while Mrazek should draw interest on the open market, he might not want to leave the team on which he revived his career.

Best Fits:CAR, CGY, CLB

19. WAYNE SIMMONDS
AGE:30POS:RW
2018-19 CAP HIT: $3.98m
Simmonds was considered one of the best rentals available at the trade deadline, as few players could replicate his mix of goal-scoring and nastiness. The Predators surrendered young winger Ryan Hartman to get Simmonds, and he went bust, scoring two goals in 19 games between the regular season and playoffs.

Simmonds’ rough style of play has worn him down and hurt his market value. Still, a grit-deficient contender could use him. He’d thrive if recast as more of a momentum-changing checker than a power-play mainstay. Another option would be a one-year “prove it” deal on a rebuilding team that could trade him for a draft pick if he rebounds next season.

Best Fits: TB, CGY, PIT

(Editors Note: Brock Nelson originally appeared as No. 14 on this list. Nelson signed a six-year extension with the New York Islanders on May 23, 2019.)