The 36-year-old is coming off his fourth year with the Edmonton Oilers, but was limited to just 42 games this season, where he posted just four goals and seven points.
Hendricks certainly isn't among the bigger names on the free-agent market, but following the entry draft last weekend general manager Chuck Fletcher noted that the team was looking to upgrade its fourth line and in the backup goalie positions.
It's no secret that the Winnipeg Jets are in need of an upgrade between the pipes, so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the club has reached out to pending unrestricted free-agent Steve Mason, according to Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun.
Mason is set to become a UFA after spending the last five seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers. That being said, Mason is coming off his worst year statistically since the 2011-12 campaign when he went 16-26-3 with a .894 save percentage and a 3.39 GAA with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
In 58 games this season Mason went 26-21-8 while amassing a .908 save percentage and a 2.66 GAA.
Four goalies shared time between the crease this past season for the Jets and none posted a better GAA or save percentage than Connor Hellebuyck's 2.89 and .907 marks.
While Mason is expected to test the market, Flyers general manager Ron Hextall has not completely ruled out bringing back Mason for another stint.
One of the top backup goaltenders expected to be available in free agency this summer is now off the market, as the Ottawa Senators announced they have signedMike Condon to a three-year contract worth $7.2 million.
The contract will pay $1.7 million in year one, $2.5 million in year two, and $3 million in year three.
The 27-year-old Condon is coming off a career season in which he made 38 starts and appeared in 40 games for the Senators, after appearing in just one game for the Pittsburgh Penguins from whom he was acquired on Nov. 2 in exchange for a fifth-round pick (Jan Drozg) in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
Condon set several Senators' franchise records during the 2016-17 regular season while filling in for goalie Craig Anderson during his several personal leaves. Condon played in a franchise-best 27 consecutive games from Dec. 1 through Feb. 4, became the fastest goalie in team history to record five shutouts - doing so in just 32 games - and along with Anderson, became the franchise's first goaltending tandem to each record at least five shutouts in a single season.
Condon was named the Molson Cup Award winner as the team's top player for both December and January. He finished the regular season with a 19-14-6 record, a .914 save percentage, and a 2.50 GAA with five shutouts. He appeared in relief of Anderson in two postseason games, stopping 28 of 32 shots faced.
The Montreal Canadiens signed Condon to a two-year contract as an undrafted free agent in May of 2013, after he completed his final season with the NCAA's Princeton Tigers. Condon got his first true shot in the NHL as an injury replacement for Carey Price during the 2015-16 season, making 51 starts and appearing in 55 games. He posted a 21-25-6 record with a .903 SV% and a 2.71 GAA.
Condon will serve at least one more season as the Senators' backup goaltender, as Anderson is a free agent after the 2017-18 season for which he carries a $4.2-million cap hit.
Smith, 28, had spent his entire career with the Detroit Red Wings until he was traded to the Rangers prior to the 2017 NHL trade deadline. In total, he played 51 games with nine points, a 49.7 Corsi For percentage while logging a career-high 19:15 minutes per game.
His reported contract is very similar to Kris Russell's four-year, $16-million deal he signed with the Oilers last week.
These two contracts will certainly lead to a large payday for some of the higher-regarded free-agent defensemen on the market, such as Kevin Shattenkirk, Karl Alzner, and Michael Stone.
St. Louis Blues forward Patrik Berglund underwent successful surgery on Tuesday to repair a dislocated left shoulder and is expected to be sidelined until December, the team announced.
He sustained the injury during his offseason training program in Sweden.
Berglund recorded a career-high 23 goals last season, and was likely expected to retain his role as the team's second-line center behind Paul Stastny heading into 2017-18.
Luckily for the Blues, they acquired 25-year-old Brayden Schenn at the NHL draft on Friday night. Schenn has been used as both a center and winger throughout his career, but will likely be asked to shift to the middle of the ice with the loss of Berglund to begin the season.
The Blues have other internal options, as well. Robby Fabbri, 21, is a natural center, but like most young players, has started his career on the wing. Veteran Alexander Steen, 33, has spent some time playing center throughout his career and could temporarily fill in. However, Schenn, who is entering the prime of his career, seems like the most suitable candidate.
There's also the chance the Blues address the center position in free agency, but the pickings are slim. Joe Thornton, Sam Gagner, Martin Hanzal, and Nick Bonino are the top centers available, and it significantly drops off afterwards. Plus, the Blues only have $11.6 million in cap space, according to Cap Friendly.
While everyone is fixated on where big names in this year's free-agent class like Kevin Shattenkirk and Alexander Radulov will end up, the free-agency winners are usually the teams that sign the top bargains.
The following four players likely won't cost much this offseason, but all four have a chance to be this class' biggest steal:
Patrick Sharp, forward
Sharp will turn 36 years old in December and is coming off his worst season in a decade. He'll likely receive a one-year "prove it" contract for around $2 million.
If he lands on a team with good centers and spots open on the wings (the Oilers come to mind), he could easily return to his 20-25-goal, 50-60-point form. His 2016-17 season was hampered by injuries, and the Stars' offensive catalysts, Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, had down years.
Furthermore, Sharp had some bad luck last season. His 5.5 shooting percentage was nearly half of his career rate of 10.8, and his team's shooting percentage at five-on-five while he was on the ice was also just 5.5, compared to his career mark of 9.1. He could be in line for a bounce-back season if the right team comes calling.
Jordan Weal, forward
Weal is being courted by a lot of teams for someone with just 37 games of NHL experience - an anomaly theScore broke down Tuesday. However, just because there's plenty of interest, it doesn't mean he'll be expensive.
Considering his lack of experience, it's hard to imagine Weal getting more than $3 million per season, and the 25-year-old could wind up outperforming his contract.
He scored eight goals and added four assists in 23 games with the Flyers last season, and his advanced stats were off the charts. He had an offensive zone start percentage of 61.1, a Corsi For percentage of 55.9, and 14 takeaways compared to just six giveaways.
Weal will likely go to a team offering him a top-six role, giving him 30-goal potential.
Michael Del Zotto, defenseman
Del Zotto is a former first-round pick, but he's had an up-and-down career. His first year in Philadelphia was impressive, but in the past two seasons he's been surpassed by younger defensemen (Shayne Gostisbehere, Ivan Provorov) in the pecking order.
There has, however, been one constant for Del Zotto: Whenever he's playing for a new contract, he flourishes. Have a look:
Stat
Contract expiring
Under contract
GP
259
225
P/PG
0.413
0.364
S/PG
1.59
1.41
+/-
+1
-27
Even though he's just 27, it's hard to imagine him getting more than a one-year deal given how he's played the past two seasons. He clearly needs that motivation to succeed.
If he's signed by a team that can give him top-four minutes with power-play time, he could easily rack up 40 points. The Penguins could use a puck-mover on the back end, and could be a potential destination.
Anders Nilsson, goaltender
Nilsson has been exclusively a backup in his career, but it might be time for the Swedish netminder to earn a role in a platoon.
The 6-foot-6 goaltender posted a .923 save percentage and a 2.67 goals-against average last season while playing for the Sabres, who were one of the worst defensive teams in hockey.
If the 27-year-old gets signed by a team with question marks in the crease, such as Philadelphia, Winnipeg, Vancouver, or Arizona, he could very well become a reliable starter.
(Advanced stats courtesy: Hockey Reference) (Photos courtesy: Action Images)
The Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid appear to be in the midst of hammering out a deal that will keep the superstar with the club for the foreseeable future.
McDavid's agent Jeff Jackson says both camps continue to iron out the parameters of a deal and that for the time being an extension is "not done yet," according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman noted on Wednesday morning that he had heard McDavid's pending contract extension could be an eight-year deal in the ball park of $13.25 million per season, similar to the figure floated by TSN's Ryan Rishaug on Tuesday.
As for the details of the contract, LeBrun suggests one key that could be under discussion is what to do in the event of a potential lockout during the 2020-21 season when the NHL and NHLPA can both elect to terminate the final two years of the 10-year deal.
One of the details likely still being discussed is how to handle the potential lockout season of 2020-21 within the deal... (signing bonus?)
The reigning Hart Trophy-winner still has one year remaining on his entry-level deal at $925,00, but the 20-year-old can breathe a sigh of relief in knowing that he's in line to receive a significant raise down the line.
Corey Hirsch is a former NHL goaltender who spent parts of seven seasons with the New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals, and Dallas Stars.
Every year at midnight on July 1, the NHL's free-agent frenzy begins - and it's a very different experience depending on how sought-after a player is.
The most popular players sit on their royal thrones as agents feed them grapes and let the offers roll in. Teams trip over themselves, courting and overspending, trying to sign that special player they believe will put their team over the top and bring them the Stanley Cup.
Well, that's not it exactly, but for some players it's that easy - and rightfully so. Those players have worked hard, and earned that right.
For the other 95 percent of free-agent players, it's nothing even remotely like that. On July 1, most will have already received a phone call or a couriered letter from their team that informs them their services are no longer needed.
Mike McKenna, a 12-year veteran depth goaltender, is one of those players. He's coming off a great season in which he took Syracuse to the AHL finals, losing to Grand Rapids in six games. He will become a free agent on Saturday.
"July 1 is incredibly nerve-racking; depth goalies are almost always on one-year deals, and the pressure to perform is constant," McKenna says. "Even when you know you've had a good season, there are only so many jobs available and every year someone really good ends up without a seat."
Free agency always offered a special twist for me; my birthday falls on July 1. The hardest one without a doubt was 1997 - the year I found out the Canucks had signed Arturs Irbe and realizing I was on my way out.
Let the birthday celebration commence.
What's fascinating to me is how the decision of a free-agent player at the top can completely affect the direction of someone else's life.
The year I thought I was going to make the New York Rangers, they signed Glenn Healy as a free agent. I was crushed, but went on to play in the Olympics. It was the best hockey experience of my life. If Healy doesn't sign with the Rangers, I never play in the Olympics.
So when Joe Thornton signs with a team, the domino effect will begin.
Thornton will take the first-line center spot, and bump everyone a seat back. The kid in the minors that was hoping to crack the fourth line will find himself in the minors again. The free-agent journeyman, hoping to take that player's place in the minors, will now be looking in a new direction.
The same thing will happen to the goaltending pecking order when Ryan Miller signs. That team's third-string goalie will be back in the minors, and the Mike McKennas of the world will have to go somewhere else.
I can't pinpoint that moment when a player goes from prospect to suspect, but free agency isn't always a million-dollar windfall. For most, it's nervously waiting for a chance to stay alive in hockey - and when one door closes, you can only hope that another one opens.
The highly-touted NCAA prospect out of Union College was courted by several teams before picking the Flames due in large part to the perceived hole on the team's right side.
"A couple different reasons. One was opportunity," Foo said, according to Wes Gilberton of Postmedia. "The Flames have a really good opportunity on the right side and have a lot of exciting players down the middle and on the left wing to play with. So I figured that pretty much whoever I'm playing with on the Flames, they're going to be great linemates, and that's exciting."
It certainly makes sense.
On Monday the team announced it was not sending Alex Chiasson a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent and freeing up a spot on the right side. That leaves three other right wingers currently plugged into spots: Troy Brouwer, Michael Frolik, and Curtis Lazar, meaning Foo should indeed get a strong chance to make the club this season.
"The other thing is that the Flames are right on the cusp of winning," Foo said. "That's what they believe, that's what I believe, and that was a big reason in making the decision. Obviously, I want to win, and it seems like it's going to be pretty exciting times for Calgary over the next few years."
Following the announcement of the signing, Foo received a welcomed shout-out from new teammate Johnny Gaudreau, which the 23-year-old was ecstatic about.
"I mean, that's incredible," said Foo. "I hope to be a great teammate to him."
If Foo can just replicate some of the magic that saw him post 26 goals and 62 points in 38 games this season, he would certainly make one heck of a teammate.
