Seven NHL RFAs could have salary arbitration hearings this week.
As is normally the case, some of the 11 RFAs who filed for arbitration – Anaheim Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal and defenseman Drew Helleson and Winnipeg Jets forwards Gabriel Vilardi and Morgan Barron – agreed to a new deal before the scheduled hearing.
While RFAs such as Mason McTavish, Marco Rossi and Connor Zary are eligible for offer sheets, seven others are scheduled to have hearings between July 20 and Aug. 4.
These players’ circumstances may have been affected by what their teams have done since the start of NHL free agency on July 1. Here are the seven players and their predicament.
Conor Timmins, D, Buffalo Sabres
Timmins was traded for the second time in four months, from the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Sabres in a salary dump deal on the second day of the NHL draft in exchange for veteran blueliner Connor Clifton and a 2025 second-round pick.
GM Kevyn Adams appears to have plans to fit the 26-year-old righty on the bottom-pairing with Mattias Samuelsson, since Buffalo re-signed Bowen Byram for two years.
Arvid Soderblom, G, Chicago Blackhawks
The 25-year-old split time between Spencer Knight and Petr Mrazek this past season. Mrazek was traded to the Detroit Red Wings at the deadline, leaving Soderblom to battle youngster Drew Commesso for the backup job.
The Blackhawks have over $21 million in cap space, so it is likely they will settle with Soderblom on a one-year deal.
Jayden Struble, D, Montreal Canadiens
The 23-year-old American likely slots in as a bottom pairing option with David Savard retiring, Logan Mailloux dealt to the St. Louis Blues for Zack Bolduc and the Canadiens not wanting to rush David Reinbacher after the 2023 first-rounder missed most of this past season with a knee injury. Struble put up 13 points and 124 hits in 56 NHL games.
Maxim Tsyplakov, RW, New York Islanders
The Russian right winger signed a one-year entry-level contract after scoring 31 goals in the KHL in 2024. Tsyplakov recorded 35 points this past season, and with the departure of Brock Nelson and Noah Dobson, GM Mathieu Darche will be relying on the 26-year-old along with another KHL import, right winger Maxim Shabanov, to pick up some of the slack on offense.
The Islanders have less than $4 million in cap space, so a one-year deal that walks Tsyplakov to unrestricted free agency makes the most sense.
Kaapo Kakko, RW, Seattle Kraken
The 2019 second overall pick found new life in the Pacific Northwest after struggling in the Big Apple, with 30 points – 10 goals, 20 assists – in 49 games with the Kraken.
The 24-year-old is one year away from being a UFA, so a settlement on a multi-year deal that buys unrestricted years will be costly. Seattle has five high-priced veterans on expiring contracts, so they can afford Kakko’s potentially hefty price tag.
Nick Robertson, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs
The diminutive scorer does not fit with Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving’s penchant for bigger players, but the 23-year-old has scored in double figures the last two seasons in limited ice time under Sheldon Keefe and Craig Berube.
With the departure of Mitch Marner, Toronto may want to keep Robertson, with multiple years under control, or at least settle with him to facilitate a trade.
Dylan Samberg, D, Winnipeg Jets
With Vilardi signing a six-year, $45-million extension on Friday, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff checked off his biggest off-season issue.
Samberg is not an offensive dynamo, putting up a career-high 20 points this past season. With one year before unrestricted free agency, a rising salary cap and the prices for defensemen skyrocketing, the 26-year-old will likely get a big payday this summer or next. He led Winnipeg in blocked shots this past season, with 120.
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