5 NHL Free Agency Bold Predictions: Johnny Hockey on the Move

The summer of 2022 does appear to offer some significant free agent options and enough stars that could change teams to make for an interesting summer. Among the top free agents Filip Forsberg, Kris Letang, and Valeri Nichushkin have re-signed with their teams, and it looks like Patrice Bergeron is going to return to the Boston Bruins.

That still leaves some big-time talent available to the highest bidder. There are going to be a lot of moves starting Wednesday and they will involve some star players. Even those a tier or two below the stars will see valuable NHL players on the move.

Taking in the landscape around the league, including cap space, team, and player circumstances, here are five bold predictions for NHL Free Agency.

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Johnny Gaudreau to the New Jersey Devils

It appears that the Devils were interested in acquiring Matthew Tkachuk via trade (and I did think that the Devils were going to offer the No. 2 pick in the draft) But even if that did not come to fruition, there is still a chance for the Devils to add a premier playmaking winger.

Gaudreau is coming off a career-high 115 points with the Flames. If he is inclined to move back to the East Coast, the Devils are a team with loads of cap room, quality playmaking centers in Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, and a need for more skill on the wing.

Evgeni Malkin to the Washington Capitals

When the Pittsburgh Penguins signed defenseman Kris Letang on the day of the first round of the NHL Draft, there might have still been some hope that Pittsburgh would have the room to also bring back Malkin. However, the Penguins have reportedly not been offering more than three years for the 35-year-old, oft-injured center. Then the Penguins signed winger Rickard Rakell to a six-year, $30 million contract on Monday, which sure tightened the financial picture in Pittsburgh.

There is still room to get a deal done but if Malkin does not like how this process has played out, maybe he would consider going to Washington. He could effectively step in for Nicklas Backstrom, the Capitals center who is looking at possibly spending the entire season on LTIR as he recovers from another hip surgery. Malkin would get to play with Alex Ovechkin, and help Ovechkin extend his competitive window in Washington while pushing for the all-time goal-scoring record.

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Nazem Kadri to the Detroit Red Wings

Surely there will be contending teams that are prepared to take a run at Kadri, coming off a Stanley Cup victory in Colorado after scoring a career-high 87 points in 71 games during the regular season. There will also be teams that have more cap space and perhaps a greater need for a scoring center.

The Seattle Kraken are an option, but the Red Wings might be ready to take the next step in their development, with Kadri supporting Dylan Larkin down the middle of the ice. Kadri will be 32 when the puck drops on the 2022-2023 season, so the big battle in negotiations will be the term on this contract.

Claude Giroux to the Edmonton Oilers

When the Philadelphia Flyers traded Giroux to the Florida Panthers before the trade deadline, the Panthers were the only team to which Giroux would accept a trade. Now, he has time to include more teams and the Oilers might be a viable option, especially if they can’t afford to keep Evander Kane who is also an unrestricted free agent.

34-year-old Giroux just had 65 points in 73 games last season so he remains productive and could be a fine complement to Connor McDavid on the Oilers’ top line. Plus, the Oilers should be at least reasonable contenders.

Mason Marchment Will Cash In

A 27-year-old who has 58 career points in the NHL is hardly the prize target in free agency. Still, there will be many teams interested in a 6-foot-4, 209-pound winger who plays a physical game and is skilled enough to play alongside top scorers.

Marchment put up 47 points in 54 games for the Panthers last season, riding some high percentages along the way, but his skill set is not common in the NHL, so some team will pay the price to add Marchment to their roster. It is going to be a bittersweet time for Marchment, whose father, Bryan, passed away suddenly on July 6.

While there may be some grieving right now, on the professional side of his life, Marchment will be in big demand for the first time in his NHL career.

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