Super 16: Gaudreau tops unrestricted free agent power rankings
Kadri, Malkin, Bergeron also among favorites of NHL.com voters
Johnny Gaudreau highlights a strong class of pending unrestricted free agents and, not surprisingly, he is No. 1 on NHL.com's Super 16 power rankings of the players who could become UFAs when the market opens in six days.
Gaudreau was ranked first by 12 of the 13 staff members who participated in the rankings. Patrice Bergeron, the longtime Boston Bruins center, received the other No. 1 ranking.
Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg, who
agreed to terms to remain with Nashville
on July 9, was ranked second by six staff members. Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri was No. 2 on three Super 16s submitted and Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang was No. 2 on two of them.
Bergeron and Florida Panthers forward Claude Giroux also got a No. 2 nod each.
To create the NHL.com power rankings of the best pending UFAs, each of the 13 participating staff members put together his or her version of what they think the Super 16 should look like. Those were submitted and a point total assigned to each.
The player that was ranked first was given 16 points, second got 15, third 14, fourth 13 and so on down to No. 16, who got one point.
Here is the pending unrestricted free agent version of the Super 16:
1. Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary FlamesTotal points: 206
The 28-year-old forward was tied for second in the NHL in scoring this season with 115 points (40 goals, 75 assists) in the final season of his six-year contract. He had an NHL-best plus-64 rating. He was on arguably the best forward line in the League with Matthew Tkachuk (42 goals, 62 assists) and Elias Lindholm (42 goals, 40 assists). The Flames want to re-sign Gaudreau, who turns 29 on Aug. 13. He said he loves it in Calgary. No deal yet. Gaudreau will likely get the most lucrative contract of all the pending UFAs regardless of where he signs.
2. Filip Forsberg, Nashville PredatorsTotal points: 180
Forsberg shares a birthday with Gaudreau, though he's one year younger (27). The forward set career bests in goals (42), assists (42) and points (84) in 69 games this season. He has spent his entire 10-season NHL career with the Predators and just finished a six-year, $36 million contract ($6 million AAV).
3. Nazem Kadri, Colorado AvalancheTotal points: 159
The 31-year-old center (he turns 32 on Oct. 6) is coming off his best season with 87 points (28 goals, 59 assists) in 71 games in the last year of a six-year contract. His previous career high in points was 61 in 2016-17 with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kadri had 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 16 playoff games. He returned from a finger injury in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final and helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup.
4. Kris Letang, Pittsburgh PenguinsTotal points: 146
Letang
agreed to a six-year, $36.6 million contract
with the Peguins on Thursday. He is 35 and he's played 941 regular-season games, all with the Penguins since 2006-07. He's a three-time Stanley Cup champion (2009, 2016, 2017). The defenseman set career bests in assists (58) and points (68) this season. He had the most points of all pending UFA defenseman this season.
5. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh PenguinsTotal points: 129
The center is a franchise icon with the Penguins. He's second in games played (981) and third in goals (444), assists (702) and points (1,146) in Penguins history. But he's turning 36 on July 31 and he played half of this season (41) games because he missed the first half recovering from offseason knee surgery. He had 42 points (20 goals, 22 assists), but the Penguins have to decide if signing him to a multi-year contract is the right thing to do. Malkin is coming off an eight-year, $76 million contract.
6. Patrice Bergeron, Boston BruinsTotal points: 122
Bergeron turns 37 on July 24 and he's played in 1,216 regular season games, all with the Bruins, who selected him in the second round (No. 45) of the 2003 NHL Draft. He won the Selke Trophy for the fifth time in his career this season, his last on an eight-year, $52 million contract. He's a Bruins legend, a Stanley Cup champion and a slam dunk for the Hockey Hall of Fame. Bergeron said after the Bruins season ended that he would either re-sign with Boston or retire. No decision yet.
7. John Klingberg, Dallas StarsTotal points: 119
The defenseman, who turns 30 on Aug. 14, had 47 points (six goals, 41 assists) in 74 games this season, his last on a seven-year contract. Klingberg has played all eight of his NHL seasons with the Stars (552 games). They selected him in the fifth round (No. 131) of the 2010 NHL Draft. He is third all-time among Stars defenseman with 374 points (71 goals, 303 assists). He said after the Stars' season ended that he wanted to stay in Dallas.
8. Claude Giroux, Florida PanthersTotal points: 114
Giroux is coming off an eight-year, $66.2 million contract ($8.275 million). He went to the Panthers from the Philadelphia Flyers prior to the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline with the hopes of helping them win the Stanley Cup, but they were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Second Round. The 34-year-old forward had 23 points (three goals, 20 assists) in 18 games with the Panthers and then eight points (three goals, five assists) in 10 playoff games. He has 923 points (294 goals, 629 assists) in 1,018 regular season games, including 900 points (291 goals, 609 assists) in 1,000 games with the Flyers.
9. Valeri Nichushkin, Colorado AvalancheTotal points: 90
Nichushkin's value skyrocketed this season, and in particular in the playoffs. The 27-year-old forward had career bests across the board with 25 goals, 27 assists and 52 points in 62 regular-season games with the Avalanche. He helped them win the Stanley Cup with 15 points (nine goals, six assists) in 20 playoff games, including six points (four goals, two assists) in the Stanley Cup Final. The Avalanche want him back.
10. Ondrej Palat, Tampa Bay LightningTotal points: 63
The Lightning want to re-sign the 31-year-old forward, who coach Jon Cooper said was "like the deadly assassin" during the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers. Palat, coming off a five-year, $26.5 million contract ($5.3 million AAV), had 49 points (18 goals, 31 assists) in 77 regular season games this season, but then he had 21 points (11 goals, 10 assists), including three game-winning goals, in 23 playoff games. He has 94 points (48 goals, 46 assists) in 134 career playoff games.
11. David Perron, St. Louis BluesTotal points: 62
The 34-year-old forward gave the Blues great value on his just-completed four-year, $16 million contract. He had 221 points (94 goals, 127 assists) in 251 games plus 38 points (20 goals, 18 assists) in 47 playoff games, helping St. Louis win the Stanley Cup in 2019, when he had 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 26 playoff games. Perron had 57 points (27 goals, 30 assists) in 67 games this season. Term could be a sticking point in negotiations with the Blues.
12. Marc-Andre Fleury, Minnesota WildTotal points: 57
Fleury
signed a two-year, $7 million contract to remain with the Minnesota Wild on Thursday
. The 37-year-old goalie is coming off a three-year, $21 million contract ($7 million AAV). He was 9-2-0 with a 2.74 goals-against average and .910 save percentage in 11 games with the Wild after they acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks before the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline. Fleury played the first five games of the first round against the Blues, going 2-3 with a 3.04 GAA and .906 save percentage. Cam Talbot played Game 6 and the Wild lost the series.
13. Evander Kane, Edmonton OilersTotal points: 54
The 30-year-old forward gave new life to his career in his half-season with the Oilers after signing with them as a free agent on Jan. 27. He had 39 points (22 goals, 17 assists) in 43 regular-season games and 17 points, including a team-high 13 goals, in 15 playoff games.
14. Darcy Kuemper, Colorado AvalancheTotal points: 53
The Avalanche and Kuemper have to decide the direction each want to go in. The team showed last season that it wasn't willing to give a long-term contract to a goalie. They let Philipp Grubauer leave to sign a six-year contract with the Seattle Kraken and acquired Kuemper, who was going into the last year of a two-year contract. Kuemper helped them win the Stanley Cup, going 37-12-4 with a 2.54 GAA and .921 save percentage in the regular season and 10-4 with a 2.57 GAA and .902 save percentage in the playoffs. He's 32 and his ability to stay in Colorado, which is his stated preference, will likely come down to term on his contract. It's unlikely the Avalanche will go for a long-term deal.
15. Ville Husso, St. Louis BluesTotal points: 46
The 27-year-old goalie
signed a three-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings on Friday after he was acquired in a trade with the Blues
. He had a breakout season, going 25-7-6 with a 2.56 GAA and .919 save percentage in 40 games (38 starts). He took over for Jordan Binnington as the Blues' No. 1 goalie in the second half. But Husso struggled in the playoffs and lost his job to Binnington after three games against the Wild, only to regain it when Binnington got hurt in Game 3 against the Avalanche. Husso started Games 4-6 but the results didn't change much. He went 2-5 with a 3.67 GAA and .890 save percentage in the playoffs.
16. Andrew Copp, New York RangersTotal points: 41
Copp's versatility is his best attribute and a reason why the Rangers would want him back after he showcased it to them late in the regular season and during the playoffs. But it's more likely the 27-year-old forward hits the open market and tries to get his biggest contract after playing this season on a one-year, $3.64 million contract. Copp had 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 20 playoff games, playing primarily as a second-line right wing. He said his preference is to play center. He had 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in 16 games with the Rangers after they got him from the Winnipeg Jets. He had 35 points (13 goals, 22 assists) in 56 games with the Jets.
Others receiving points: Vincent Trocheck, Carolina Hurricanes, 40; Andre Burakovsky, Colorado Avalanche, 29; Ryan Strome, New York Rangers, 20; Jack Campbell, Toronto Maple Leafs, 18; Rickard Rakell, Pittsburgh Penguins, 5; Josh Manson, Colorado Avalanche, 4; Nino Niederreiter, Carolina Hurricanes, 3; Nick Leddy, St. Louis Blues, 3; Max Domi, Carolina Hurricanes, 2; Reilly Smith, Vegas Golden Knights, 1; Ben Chiarot, Florida Panthers, 1; Phil Kessel, Arizona Coyotes, 1
HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM
AMALIE BENJAMIN
1. Johnny Gaudreau; 2. Kris Letang; 3. Patrice Bergeron; 4. Filip Forsberg; 5. Nazem Kadri; 6. Claude Giroux; 7. John Klingberg; 8. Evgeni Malkin; 9. Darcy Kuemper; 10. Evander Kane; 11. Ville Husso; 12. Valeri Nichushkin; 13. David Perron; 14. Andrew Copp; 15. Ondrej Palat; 16. Jack Campbell
BRIAN COMPTON
1. Johnny Gaudreau; 2. Kris Letang; 3. Filip Forsberg; 4. Evgeni Malkin; 5. Nazem Kadri; 6. David Perron; 7. Darcy Kuemper; 8. Claude Giroux; 9. Valeri Nichushkin; 10. Ondrej Palat; 11. Andrew Copp; 12. Andre Burakovsky; 13. Jack Campbell; 14. John Klingberg; 15. Evander Kane; 16. Ryan Strome
NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA
1. Johnny Gaudreau; 2. Nazem Kadri; 3. Filip Forsberg; 4. Evgeni Malkin; 5. Kris Letang; 6. Evander Kane; 7. Patrice Bergeron; 8. Claude Giroux; 9. Valeri Nichushkin; 10. Andre Burakovsky; 11. Ondrej Palat; 12. Darcy Kuemper; 13. Andrew Copp; 14. David Perron; 15. John Klingberg; 16. Marc-Andre Fleury
TOM GULITTI
1. Johnny Gaudreau; 2. Nazem Kadri; 3. Filip Forsberg; 4. Kris Letang; 5. John Klingberg; 6. Valeri Nichushkin; 7. Patrice Bergeron; 8. Evgeni Malkin; 9. Claude Giroux; 10. Marc-Andre Fleury; 11. David Perron; 12. Andrew Copp; 13. Evander Kane; 14. Andre Burakovsky; 15. Vincent Trocheck; 16. Ondrej Palat
ADAM KIMELMAN
1. Johnny Gaudreau; 2. Filip Forsberg; 3. Kris Letang; 4. Valeri Nichushkin; 5. Claude Giroux; 6. Nazem Kadri; 7. Ondrej Palat; 8. Marc-Andre Fleury; 9. John Klingberg; 10. David Perron; 11. Vincent Trocheck; 12. Evgeni Malkin; 13. Darcy Kuemper; 14. Patrice Bergeron; 15. Andrew Copp; 16. Evander Kane
ROBERT LAFLAMME
1. Johnny Gaudreau; 2. Filip Forsberg; 3. Ville Husso; 4. Ryan Strome; 5. Valeri Nichushkin; 6. Andre Burakovsky; 7. Nazem Kadri; 8. Kris Letang; 9. Evgeni Malkin; 10. Darcy Kuemper; 11. Marc-Andre Fleury; 12. Andrew Copp; 13. John Klingberg; 14. Jack Campbell; 15. David Perron; 16. Reilly Smith
MIKE G. MORREALE
1. Johnny Gaudreau; 2. Patrice Bergeron; 3. Filip Forsberg; 4. Nazem Kadri; 5. Ville Husso; 6. John Klingberg; 7. Vincent Trocheck; 8. Ondrej Palat; 9. Kris Letang; 10. Evgeni Malkin; 11. Claude Giroux; 12. Rickard Rakell; 13. Darcy Kuemper; 14. David Perron; 15. Max Domi; 16. Ben Chiarot
TRACEY MYERS
1. Johnny Gaudreau; 2. Claude Giroux; 3. Evgeni Malkin; 4. Patrice Bergeron; 5. John Klingberg; 6. Nazem Kadri; 7. David Perron; 8. Filip Forsberg; 9. Vincent Trocheck; 10. Andrew Copp; 11. Kris Letang; 12. Ville Husso; 13. Valeri Nichushkin; 14. Marc-Andre Fleury; 15. Darcy Kuemper; 16. Jack Campbell
SHAWN P. ROARKE
1. Patrice Bergeron; 2. Filip Forsberg; 3. Johnny Gaudreau; 4. John Klingberg; 5. Kris Letang; 6. Evgeni Malkin; 7. Nazem Kadri; 8. Marc-Andre Fleury; 9. Ondrej Palat; 10. David Perron; 11. Valeri Nichushkin; 12. Claude Giroux; 13. Josh Manson; 14. Nino Niederreiter; 15. Ville Husso; 16. Evander Kane
DAN ROSEN
1. Johnny Gaudreau; 2. Nazem Kadri; 3. John Klingberg; 4. Kris Letang; 5. Filip Forsberg; 6. Valeri Nichushkin; 7. Ondrej Palat; 8. Andrew Copp; 9. Patrice Bergeron; 10. Marc-Andre Fleury; 11. Claude Giroux; 12. Vincent Trocheck; 13. Evgeni Malkin; 14. Andre Burakovsky; 15. Ville Husso; 16. Evander Kane
DAVID SATRIANO
1. Johnny Gaudreau; 2. Filip Forsberg; 3. Claude Giroux; 4. Evgeni Malkin; 5. Kris Letang; 6. Marc-Andre Fleury; 7. Patrice Bergeron; 8. John Klingberg; 9. Nazem Kadri; 10. Evander Kane; 11. Ryan Strome; 12. Darcy Kuemper; 13. David Perron; 14. Nick Leddy; 15. Ondrej Palat; 16. Phil Kessel
PAUL STRIZHEVSKY
1. Johnny Gaudreau; 2. Filip Forsberg; 3. Patrice Bergeron; 4. Nazem Kadri; 5. Evgeni Malkin; 6. Claude Giroux; 7. Evander Kane; 8. Vincent Trocheck; 9. John Klingberg; 10. Valeri Nichushkin
11. Ondrej Palat; 12. Kris Letang; 13. Ville Husso; 14. Jack Campbell; 15. David Perron; 16. Darcy Kuemper
MIKE ZEISBERGER
1. Johnny Gaudreau; 2. Filip Forsberg; 3. Nazem Kadri; 4. John Klingberg; 5. Kris Letang; 6. Evgeni Malkin; 7. Evander Kane; 8. Patrice Bergeron; 9. Claude Giroux; 10. Darcy Kuemper; 11. Jack Campbell; 12. Valeri Nichushkin; 13. Marc-Andre Fleury; 14. David Perron; 15. Ondrej Palat; 16. Ville Husso
