The NHL's free agent period has been open for one week, but there are still restricted free agents seeking new contracts. And in this list, THN identifies which prominent youngsters need new deals, and what those deals could look like.

It has been one week after the NHL’s unrestricted free agency period kicked off and most players are under contract for the 2024-25 season. But apart from those lucky souls, there is a group of young players who still need a new deal for next year. Let’s look at the most prominent names who are RFAs, and what the future is likely to hold for them. The players will be presented in alphabetical order:

1. Quinton Byfield, C, Los Angeles Kings

The Kings got a terrific season out of the 21-year-old Byfield, who generated 20 goals and 55 points in 80 games. He’s now going to get a significant raise on the approximately $894,000 he made in each of the past three seasons, and the only question is whether L.A. GM Rob Blake gives Byfield a bridge deal for a couple of seasons before really stepping up and making him one of the highest-paid members of the team. Byfield isn’t close to his prime, but a contract in the area of $3-4 million per season over the short term sounds like the best contract he can get at this point in his career.

2. Thomas Harley, D, Dallas Stars

The 22-year-old Harley had a breakout season for the Stars, posting 15 goals and 47 points in 79 games while averaging 21:01 of ice time per game. Dallas has some $7.1 million in cap space, which is more than enough to get Harley’s signature on a new contract. He won’t eat up all that cap room, but the big-bodied blueliner should sign a three-of-four-year extension paying him $4 million per season. Harley and fellow Dallas D-man Miro Heiskanen represent the foundation of the Stars’ defense corps, and Stars GM Jim Nill is a savvy team-builder who knows how important Harley is to the short and long-term. Harley will get a massive contract somewhere down the line, but for the moment, he’ll be paid at least a few million per year as he develops his game.

3. Seth Jarvis, RW, Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes have $11.68 million in cap space, but they have three RFAs to sign, including star winger Martin Necas, forward Jack Drury and Jarvis, who netted 33 goals and 67 points in 81 games. The 22-year-old Jarvis had a $1.39 million cap hit in 2023-24, but as Carolina’s top-line right winger, he’s worth much more than that. ‘Canes GM Eric Tulsky has to balance his team’s needs right now with his cap situation, but he doesn’t want to be a skinflint with one of his most important players. Jarvis also should be in the $4-5 million pay range on his next new deal, and down the line, he could double that amount of money.

4. Lucas Raymond, RW, Detroit Red Wings

With $19.9 million in cap space, Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman has more than enough room to sign Detroit’s two biggest RFAs – Raymond and defenseman Moritz Seider (more on him below) – and still have some notable cap flexibility. The 22-year-old Raymond led his team in assists (41) and points (72), and those numbers were career highs for him. Raymond may skip the bridge deal opportunity and go straight for a seven-or-eight-year contract that pays him $5-6 million per season. He’s integral to Detroit’s chances of getting back into the playoffs, and Yzerman knows he’ll have to fork over a massive raise to keep the Swede happy. It’s hard to envision Yzerman draws a financial line in the sand for Raymond; instead, they’ll give him enough of a raise to reflect his importance to the organization.

5. Moritz Seider, D, Detroit Red Wings

If Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is worth $11 million per season, what should the 23-year-old Seider get from the Red Wings? Yzerman needs to give the German D-man at least $8-9 million, and while that would make Seider the highest-paid blueliner on the team, his value to the present and future of the Wings cannot be overstated. Seider is a cornerstone component of the Original Six franchise, and while Yzerman will be looking to cut costs wherever possible, it won’t come at the expense of Seider. If Seider wants a deal in the eight figures per season, he might need a bridge deal that gives him more leverage a few years from now, but we suspect Yzerman wants to sign him to a longer-term pact that underscores his value to the team.