The 29-year-old earned the Golden Knights' starting job in the postseason and excelled after Vegas landed him in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks at the deadline.
He would have been one of the top players available had he tested the UFA market on Oct. 9.
Lehner went 9-7 with a .917 save percentage in 16 playoff games with Vegas. He played three regular-season contests with the Golden Knights down the stretch after the trade.
The Swedish netminder posted a 16-10-5 record to go along with a .918 save percentage and 10.17 goals saved above average in 33 games with the Blackhawks in 2019-20 prior to the deal.
Lehner signed a one-year, $5-million pact with Chicago in July 2019.
This year's unrestricted free-agent pool could pack some superstar punch in all three position groups.
Dustin Byfuglien isn't included because he's reportedly unlikely to continue playing. Meanwhile, Henrik Lundqvist is already a UFA after the New York Rangers bought him out, but his plans are unclear.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the top players who could be available when the frenzy begins Oct. 9.
xGF% = Expected goals for percentage at five-on-five GSAA = Goals saved above average at five-on-five
25. Wayne Simmonds
Position: RW Age: 32 2019-20 cap hit: $5M Current team: Buffalo Sabres
GP
G
P
ATOI
xGF%
68
8
25
14:55
45.81
Simmonds' play has noticeably declined, and he certainly isn't worth his previous cap hit, which the New Jersey Devils retained half of upon shipping him to the Sabres. However, the veteran winger should garner some interest considering his track record of providing both offense and physicality.
24. Ilya Kovalchuk
Position: LW/RW Age: 37 2019-20 cap hit: $700K Current team: Washington Capitals
GP
G
P
ATOI
xGF%
46
10
26
16:58
55.14
After struggling and falling out with the Los Angeles Kings, Kovalchuk surprisingly produced 13 points in 22 games with the Montreal Canadiens. However, the former superstar wasn't as effective with the Capitals and virtually disappeared in the playoffs, but there's little risk involved in offering him another league-minimum deal.
23. Corey Perry
Position: RW Age: 35 2019-20 cap hit: $1.5M Current team: Dallas Stars
GP
G
P
ATOI
xGF%
57
5
21
13:43
53.2
What a difference a postseason makes. Perry bolstered his stock significantly in the playoffs after barely contributing on the offensive end during the regular season. The longtime agitator buried three goals over a two-game span in the Stanley Cup Final, including the double-overtime winner in Game 5.
22. Zdeno Chara
Position: LD Age: 43 2019-20 cap hit: $2M Current team: Boston Bruins
GP
G
P
ATOI
xGF%
68
5
14
21:01
48.46
Chara has spent the last 14 years with the Bruins (all as their captain), signed one-year deals with Boston in each of the last two offseasons, and said recently he wants to keep playing for the team. But general manager Don Sweeney was noncommittal when asked about the towering blue-liner's future with the club. So, though it may seem unlikely, the door appears open for an exit.
21. Vladislav Namestnikov
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Position: LW/C Age: 27 2019-20 cap hit: $4M Current team: Colorado Avalanche
GP
G
P
ATOI
xGF%
65
17
31
15:03
46.91
Teams looking for depth scoring from a versatile forward would be wise to consider Namestnikov, who tallied four goals in 12 playoff games with the Avalanche after notching four markers and a pair of helpers in nine regular-season contests down the stretch.
20. Corey Crawford
Position: G Age: 35 2019-20 cap hit: $6M Current team: Chicago Blackhawks
GP
Record
SV%
GSAA
40
16-20-3
.917
7.52
Crawford may not be well-suited to shoulder the load at this point in his career, but the experienced goaltender proved more than capable in 2019-20 while sharing the crease. His GSAA ranked 10th in the NHL among netminders who played at least 25 games.
19. Erik Haula
Position: C/LW Age: 29 2019-20 cap hit: $2.75M Current team: Florida Panthers
GP
G
P
ATOI
xGF%
48
12
24
15:50
47
Haula didn't wow anyone with his stats this past season, but like Namestnikov, he's capable of playing multiple positions up front and may come cheaper due to his diminished production and past injury woes. Despite those concerns, the Finnish forward is only two seasons removed from a 29-goal, 55-point campaign.
18. Travis Hamonic
Position: RD Age: 30 2019-20 cap hit: $3.86M Current team: Calgary Flames
GP
G
P
ATOI
xGF%
50
3
12
21:12
48.55
Hamonic doesn't post gaudy numbers, nor is he likely to limit opposing goals or scoring chances at an elite level. But he is a proven top-four rearguard with 10 years of NHL experience. If he opts to leave the Flames, other teams in need could certainly do worse, as long as it's not for a long term.
17. Brenden Dillon
Position: LD Age: 29 2019-20 cap hit: $3.27M Current team: Washington Capitals
GP
G
P
ATOI
xGF%
69
1
14
19:27
52.21
Not many defensemen are able to drive possession while providing as much of a physical presence as Dillon does. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound blue-liner ranked among the NHL leaders at his position in hits this past season and also authored expected goals for, scoring chances for, and Corsi For rates above 50%.
16. Sami Vatanen
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Position: RD Age: 29 2019-20 cap hit: $4.87M Current team: Carolina Hurricanes
GP
G
P
ATOI
xGF%
47
5
23
21:45
47.24
Vatanen is capable of producing at a 35-to-40-point pace, as he did with the Hurricanes and Devils in 2019-20. He's also a decent defender, though his possession figures leave something to be desired. The Finnish blue-liner has been limited by injuries over the last two seasons, but he missed only one playoff game this campaign and should be fine entering 2020-21.
15. Chris Tanev
Position: RD Age: 30 2019-20 cap hit: $4.45M Current team: Vancouver Canucks
GP
G
P
ATOI
xGF%
69
2
20
19:32
48.16
Tanev has spent his entire 10-year career with the Canucks, but the defenseman has the opportunity to hit the market if he so desires. The Pittsburgh Penguins will reportedly make a play for the rearguard if he becomes a UFA. Given his dependability, it wouldn't be shocking to see other clubs do the same.
14. TJ Brodie
Position: RD Age: 30 2019-20 cap hit: $4.65M Current team: Calgary Flames
GP
G
P
ATOI
xGF%
64
4
19
20:27
52.25
Much like Hamonic, Brodie is an adequate top-four defenseman, though he'll have a slight edge over his teammate if he pursues free agency by virtue of being a left-hander who's played much of his Flames tenure on the right side.
13. Mikael Granlund
Position: C/LW Age: 28 2019-20 cap hit: $5.75M Current team: Nashville Predators
GP
G
P
ATOI
xGF%
63
17
30
17:48
51.67
It was a tale of two seasons for Granlund, as he led the Predators with 11 goals in the 28 games after John Hynes took over as head coach in January. Granlund hasn't matched the level of production he previously established with the Minnesota Wild, but he'll still be one of the top free-agent forwards on the market.
12. Anton Khudobin
Position: G Age: 34 2019-20 cap hit: $2.5M Current team: Dallas Stars
GP
Record
SV%
GSAA
30
16-8-4
.930
18.62
Khudobin's stock soared after he helped lead Dallas to the Stanley Cup Final as the team's starter following a stellar regular season as Ben Bishop's backup. The Stars reportedly want to keep Khudobin, but he may opt to cash in elsewhere upon proving he's more than capable of holding a No. 1 job and carrying a team in the playoffs.
11. Braden Holtby
Patrick McDermott / National Hockey League / Getty
Position: G Age: 31 2019-20 cap hit: $6.1M Current team: Washington Capitals
GP
Record
SV%
GSAA
48
25-14-6
.897
-14.7
Holtby would have pushed for the top five on this list if he had a solid regular season - only Jimmy Howard had a worse GSAA - or was remotely reliable in the playoffs. Despite those struggles, the longtime Capitals starter isn't far removed from winning a championship in 2018 and the Vezina Trophy two years prior, so he may just need a change of scenery.
10. Kevin Shattenkirk
Position: RD Age: 31 2019-20 cap hit: $1.75M Current team: Tampa Bay Lightning
GP
G
P
ATOI
xGF%
70
8
34
18:54
55.63
The Lightning inking Shattenkirk to such a team-friendly contract in August 2019 wasn't shocking after the New York Rangers bought him out, but it proved to be arguably the biggest bargain of the offseason. He was an immediate fit with Tampa Bay and raised his game in the playoffs, posting 13 points in 25 games.
9. Tyson Barrie
Position: RD Age: 29 2019-20 cap hit: $5.5M Current team: Toronto Maple Leafs
GP
G
P
ATOI
xGF%
70
5
39
21:53
50.89
Barrie didn't fully mesh with the Maple Leafs, but the former Avalanche blue-liner remains a capable offensive defenseman with plenty of value. He improved after Sheldon Keefe took over as Toronto's head coach, and despite the rearguard's deficiencies in his own end, he'll undoubtedly get calls from interested clubs.
8. Evgenii Dadonov
Position: RW Age: 31 2019-20 cap hit: $4M Current team: Florida Panthers
GP
G
P
ATOI
xGF%
69
25
47
17:06
50.49
Dadonov isn't the best Panthers forward on this list, but he's been one of the NHL's most underrated scorers over the last few years. The Russian winger potted 28 goals in back-to-back seasons and was on a 30-goal pace before the pause. Dadonov produced 135 combined points over the previous two campaigns, and though he benefited from playing with elite linemates, there's clearly talent there.
7. Tyler Toffoli
Position: RW Age: 28 2019-20 cap hit: $4.6M Current team: Vancouver Canucks
GP
G
P
ATOI
xGF%
68
24
44
16:51
56.47
Toffoli said in September that staying with the Canucks is his top priority, but Vancouver has its hands full this offseason. He racked up six goals and 10 points in 10 regular-season games with the club after it acquired him from the Kings before the deadline, and he kept contributing in the playoffs. If the winger hits the market, he'll be one of the top players available.
6. Mike Hoffman
Mark Blinch / National Hockey League / Getty
Position: LW Age: 30 2019-20 cap hit: $5.19M Current team: Florida Panthers
GP
G
P
ATOI
xGF%
69
29
59
16:50
46.27
Hoffman is as consistent as they come in the goal-producing department, averaging 28.7 per season over his nine-year career. He's the second-best forward who could be available in free agency, and it remains to be seen whether the Panthers will choose to keep either of their skilled scorers around.
5. Jacob Markstrom
Position: G Age: 30 2019-20 cap hit: $3.67M Current team: Vancouver Canucks
GP
Record
SV%
GSAA
43
23-16-4
.918
6.65
Vancouver general manager Jim Benning made it clear he wants to re-sign Markstrom, and the netminder has also said he wants to stay with the Canucks. However, there's no guarantee that happens, and if it doesn't, he'd likely be the second-most coveted puck-stopper on the market.
Lehner spent most of the regular season splitting time in the Blackhawks crease with Crawford, but his strong play with both Chicago and Vegas helped him secure the Golden Knights' starting role in the postseason. Lehner is the youngest among the top members of the pending UFA goalie class, and he certainly proved himself worthy of a longer contract after signing a surprising one-year deal in July 2019.
3. Torey Krug
Position: LD Age: 29 2019-20 cap hit: $5.25M Current team: Boston Bruins
GP
G
P
ATOI
xGF%
61
9
49
20:29
52.01
Krugsaid in September he's "very opposed" to settling for a one-year deal, and it's tough to dispute the notion that he deserves a longer pact considering his track record and production from the back end.
2. Taylor Hall
Position: LW Age: 28 2019-20 cap hit: $6M Current team: Arizona Coyotes
GP
G
P
ATOI
xGF%
65
16
52
19:10
50.89
Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong recently admitted the team would need to get creative to retain Hall, who helped Arizona reach the postseason in 2019-20 for the first time since 2012, albeit in an expanded format. The 2017-18 Hart Trophy winner said in August his priority is "probably all winning," adding that the Coyotes "have a bright future." Still, he may be tempted to take his talents elsewhere.
1. Alex Pietrangelo
John Russell / National Hockey League / Getty
Position: RD Age: 30 2019-20 cap hit: $6.5M Current team: St. Louis Blues
GP
G
P
ATOI
xGF%
70
16
52
24:11
52.42
There's no question who the biggest fish on the market will be with the way things are trending. The Blues reportedly advised Pietrangelo to pursue free agency, and the superstar rearguard subsequently said maybe that's "best for both sides" after admitting there's been little progress in contract talks. However, he hasn't ruled out re-signing. Regardless of where he lands, Pietrangelo is in for a hefty payday.
On the surface, the Jan. 30 meeting between the Sudbury Wolves and Barrie Colts was just another game in the 2019-20 OHL season, the 37th contest of a 63-game year shortened by COVID-19.
The way MacAuley Carson sees it, though, the Wolves' 3-2 victory was more than just another game. It was the game in which he witnessed superstar teammate Quinton Byfield call his shot with Sudbury down 2-1 early in the third period.
Byfield, as Carson tells it, told a yapping Colts player to buzz off and then gave him a warning: Not only did Byfield plan to tie the game 2-2, but he would do so in spectacular fashion by rifling the puck top corner on a breakaway. You can probably guess what happened the next time his skates hit the ice.
In-game chirping is rampant in junior, Carson notes, but this was different. Byfield put his money where his mouth was and hushed the Colts faithful mid-celebration. "It was probably the first time I ever saw a guy say he was going to do something, and then actually do it the next shift," Carson said earlier this week, still amazed eight months later.
For good measure, Byfield later scored the overtime winner, burying his sixth shot of the night to cap the Wolves' late-game comeback. "That was the moment where I'm like, 'OK, this kid's pretty good,'" Carson said with a laugh. He likened the 6-foot-4 center's performance to an NBA player taking over in crunch time.
Byfield will again command attention Tuesday when the NHL gathers virtually for the first round of the 2020 draft. The New York Rangers are expected to select Canadian forward and consensus top prospect Alexis Lafreniere first overall. The Los Angeles Kings pick second and are projected to take either Byfield or German phenom Tim Stuetzle, with the Ottawa Senators taking the other at No. 3.
Truthfully, there is no wrong choice for the Kings. But if it were up to TSN's Craig Button, Byfield would be bound for California.
"My opinion on the selection at No. 2 is simple. We all know what Anze Kopitar means to the LA Kings. When I look at an Anze Kopitar-type player like Quinton Byfield, who better to learn from than the player you might be very similar to?" said Button, a former NHL general manager and scout.
Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images
It's rare for a prospect to be compared to Kopitar, one of hockey's most unique two-way forwards. But Byfield, who only turned 18 on Aug. 19, actually qualifies. He boasts formidable size, explosive skating, high-end skill, and advanced vision. Byfield isn't currently in Kopitar's ballpark when it comes to his play away from the puck - the latter is a former Selke Trophy winner - yet Button believes he has the desire, attitude, and tools to eventually "make an impact on every square inch of ice" at the NHL level.
"I see him as a real, real bright prospect," Button said. "The athletic ability, the hockey ability, the determination, the competitive spirit - it's all there, it's all there. It's about continuing to grow and develop."
Unlike Kopitar, the lone Slovenian to star in the NHL, Byfield hails from a hockey hotbed. Though his father is from Jamaica and didn't grow up around the game, Byfield was born and raised in the Toronto suburb of Newmarket, becoming addicted to the sport at an early age. By his mid-teens, he'd established himself as a blue-chip prospect, drawing crowds of scouts before the Wolves eventually selected him first overall in the 2018 OHL draft. He delivered immediately, posting 61 points in 64 games to earn rookie of the year honors.
"He came in and played both roles, offensive and defensive. He would be out there late in games with goalies pulled," Wolves head coach Cory Stillman said. "If we pulled our goalie, everything ran through him. If their goalie was pulled, we had him on the ice because we knew he was going to get the puck out.
"He's smart, he can read plays, and he has a great stick. We knew from Day 1 that having him on the ice late in games was an advantage for us."
Commitments with Team Canada's world junior squad, a mid-season wrist injury, and the coronavirus pandemic truncated Byfield's sophomore OHL season, yet he still managed to bag 32 goals and add 50 assists to lead the Wolves with 82 points in 45 games. Scouts were impressed once again, this time by his constant improvements in blending the various aspects of his game.
"He has a power element, but it's combined with speed," explained Dan Marr, the director of NHL Central Scouting. "He's got nice, soft hands for a big guy, and he's got very good hockey IQ. This is an all-situational player."
Chris Tanouye / Getty Images
Like most scouts, Marr would rather not compare prospects to NHL stars. But he can't help himself with Byfield. Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins, a popular comparable across the industry, comes to mind thanks to similarities in skating ability, stature, and puck skills. He also sees Byfield as a "clone" of 18-year-old Leon Draisaitl, who became the No. 3 pick in the 2014 NHL Draft and is now the reigning winner of the Art Ross and Hart trophies at 24. Interestingly, Marr's favorite comparable is a major throwback: Jean Beliveau of Montreal Canadiens lore.
"The way I like to describe him is that he plays the game the correct way. He has all the tools and the talent to flourish," Marr said of Byfield. "When I watched him initially, the way he handled himself, carried himself on the ice and off the ice, I'm sitting there and telling the other guys, 'Hey, this is like a Jean Beliveau-type player,' in terms of his impact on and off the ice."
Eric Lindros, you'll notice, is left out of the comparable conversation. Byfield isn't cut from the same cloth as Lindros, a bulldozer of a power forward in his heyday. At 220 pounds, Byfield is leaner, cleaner, and craftier. As Marr put it, the left-handed shooter is "a big guy who can show up on the highlight reel doing things that normally you only anticipate with smaller guys."
Erie Otters defenseman Jamie Drysdale, another top-10 talent in the 2020 draft, was asked last week for a scouting report on Byfield, his OHL opponent and international teammate.
"He's got the size, the speed, the hands, and pretty much all the tools you need to be a high-end forward," Drysdale said. He added: "The second that guy gets a step on you, you're kind of toast."
Drysdale and Byfield both made Canada's world junior team as underagers. They each appeared in seven games, but Byfield's impact on the squad's gold-medal run was minimal. He didn't see the ice often, and when he did, the dominant player seen in OHL rinks was nowhere to be found. This so-so showing, not uncommon for a 17-year-old suiting up in a best-on-best under-20 tournament, continues to follow Byfield. On a video call with reporters last week, he said adjusting to the lack of ice time was a "learning curve."
The OHL has yet to approve the opening of training camps due to COVID-19, so Byfield is in limbo until at least November. During this extended offseason, he's been training off the ice with fitness guru and ex-NHLer Gary Roberts, and competing on the ice against Connor McDavid and other Toronto-area pros such as Josh Anderson and Chris Tierney. Like all top prospects, his goal is to make the NHL next season. Is he truly ready, though?
From Button's vantage point, Byfield could play in the NHL immediately, but he doesn't project to be a key contributor right away. "I think it would be a massive mistake for the team who drafts Quinton Byfield to have him in the NHL next year," Button said. "Massive mistake."
Button would rather Byfield dominate every single night in the OHL and crush the 2021 world juniors, which are scheduled to take place around the winter holidays in a bubble environment in Edmonton. Remember, Button warns, Byfield is young, 10 months younger than Lafreniere and, despite his resume and makeup, still quite raw.
"I say this in the most complimentary way," Button said. "I honestly believe Quinton is still in the process of finding how good he can be."
Carson, for his part, has aged out of the OHL and is now playing for the University of New Brunswick men's hockey team. The former Wolves forward leans on a quote plastered on the walls of UNB's facilities to describe the road ahead for Byfield, a potential franchise-changing center who's just getting started.
"Your talent is your floor," he said. "And then your work ethic is your ceiling."
The San Jose Sharks are discussing a potential trade with the Minnesota Wild to acquire veteran netminder Devan Dubnyk, according to TSN's Daren Dreger.
Dubnyk, 34, has one year remaining on his current deal, which carries a cap hit of $4.33 million. He's set to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2020-21 campaign.
New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald is putting his faith in the team's young core to develop and help create a winning culture rather than relying on bringing in immediate help with big moves.
"I'm not looking for a quick fix here. When this team takes off is when (Jack Hughes) and (Nico Hischier) take off for good," Fitzgerald said, according to NHL.com's Mike Morreale. "They're the type of players that can pull everybody with you.
"I'm going to be true to myself and true to this plan that we're not going to get ahead of ourselves. We're going to do this the right way and we're going to chip away and we're going to find the right support for our young future stars to help them grow, because they're still so young and they're ready to go."
The Devils iced one of the youngest and most inexperienced teams in the league during the 2019-20 season, finishing the year with just three players over the age of 30.
Beyond Hischier and Hughes, New Jersey is backstopped by the 23-year-old MacKenzie Blackwood and has a good crop of young prospects. Fitzgerald is willing to wait for his star players to progress properly.
"(Hischier) is in his fourth year and I know he's ready to take a big step," Fitzgerald said. "(Hughes) is going to take a step, we're just not sure how big that step will be. It's going to be exciting to see how big of a step he takes. We want to allow our kids to grow at their pace without rushing them into the NHL because we need to."
The Devils parted ways with Taylor Hall, Blake Coleman, Sami Vatanen, Andy Greene, and Wayne Simmonds during the 2019-20 season. As a result, they have nine picks in the upcoming draft, including three in the first round.
"It's exciting times," Fitzgerald said. "Sometimes it may be hard to not have an itchy trigger finger and pull things off because they look great, but it just has to make sense for where we're at and where we want to go."
He added: "The only thing I'm looking forward to is helping these young kids like (Hughes and Hischier), the rest of the prospects, the core kids, and watch them develop and grow together. Then whenever that time is, we just watch them create that winning culture. That's what I'm trying to do right now."
The Los Angeles Kings have fired mascot actor Tim Smith following a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against him earlier this year, the team has said in a brief statement, according to The Associated Press.
A former female member of the club's ice crew sued Smith, who portrayed the mascot "Bailey," along with the Kings and team owner AEG.
Smith allegedly verbally and physically harassed the woman and then fired her after she confronted his behavior, according to the lawsuit.
