One of the few remaining RFA players came off the market Friday with news from Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman that Calgary Flames winger Connor Zary agreed to a three-year contract extension with an annual average value of $3.775 million. That leaves only six RFAs left who had played NHL games this past season.
Let’s break down a fun little pressure-o-meter on the six remaining RFAs. On a scale from one to five stars, with one star being the least amount of pressure to five stars being the most amount of pressure, how much will each team be feeling the heat if their RFA remains unsigned to start the season?
1. Mason McTavish, C, Anaheim Ducks
Pressure raking: Five stars
The Breakdown: The Ducks are aiming to take a major step this season, and Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek has more than $20.5 million in salary cap space. So it’s more than a little curious that the Ducks and McTavish haven’t come to some kind of financial common ground.
If Anaheim is going to have a hope to make the Stanley Cup playoffs, they’re going to need all hands on deck, and that includes McTavish, who has averaged 19 goals in each of his first three NHL seasons. The Ducks’ year won’t float or sink depending solely on McTavish, but if any team can’t afford to have a dynamic young player on the sidelines, it’s Anaheim. And the longer they fail to sign McTavish, the better the chance they completely burn a bridge with him and end his Ducks career before it could really take flight.
2. Luke Hughes, D, New Jersey Devils
Pressure raking: Four stars
The Breakdown: Much is expected of the Devils this season in no small part because of their deep and skilled defense corps. But not having the 21-year-old Hughes under contract feels like a fight New Jersey doesn’t need to make. And the hole Hughes leaves in his absence could wind up being the difference between the Devils securing home-ice advantage in the playoffs and being a wild-card team.
Hughes has produced 75 assists and 91 points over the past two seasons, and those totals could’ve been higher if he’d played more than the 71 games he played in 2024-25. Having Hughes miss any time because of a financial stalemate will not do the youngster any favors as he tries to grow his game. And that’s why New Jersey is facing considerable pressure to get him signed.
3. Luke Evangelista, RW, Nashville Predators
Pressure raking: Three stars
The Breakdown: The Predators were a huge letdown last season, but the development of the 23-year-old Evangelista was a bright spot. Despite playing 12 fewer games last season than he did in 2023-24, Evangelista still put up 32 points. And while Nashville has $9.3 million in cap space, they’re under no urgent need to throw a lot of it at Evangelista.
Thus, the Preds can afford to be more patient than the Ducks and Devils are being with McTavish and Hughes, respectively. Nashville needs more out of all its players, Evangelista included. But there’s no point rushing things with Evangelista. If it takes another few weeks to sign him, the Predators will be fine with it. They shouldn’t let it drag out forever when it comes to Evangelista, but the clock isn’t ticking quite so loudly as it is for the aforementioned two players on this list.
4. Rasmus Kupari, C, Winnipeg Jets
Pressure raking: One star
The Breakdown: The Jets may not have had a high ceiling for Kupari when they acquired him from the Los Angeles Kings, and as part of Winnipeg’s bottom-six group of forwards, his individual numbers (including five goals and eight points in 59 games last year) aren’t going to get him a big-money, long-term contract.
Kupari isn’t regarded as being especially crucial to the Jets’ playoff hopes, so if he doesn’t agree to a new deal by the time the season begins, there won’t be a huge outcry from Winnipeg fans. The 25-year-old Kupari may eventually grow into a more valuable player, but for now, he’s more of a fringe contributor, and the Jets’ slow movement to get him signed is a reflection of that reality.
5. Alexander Holtz, RW, Vegas Golden Knights
Pressure raking: One star
The Breakdown: The Golden Knights are a team built to win now, and so young players like the 23-year-old Holtz are a supplemental talent. Holtz posted only eight assists and 12 points in 53 games. Meanwhile, every salary cap dollar is hugely valuable to Vegas, and given that the Golden Knights are currently over the salary cap ceiling, they’ll need to keep Holtz’s raise to a minimum.
So, while Vegas got a 16-goal, 28-point season out of Holtz two years ago, they don’t have to break the bank for Holtz. A short-term, low-money deal will probably be as good as it gets for Holtz, at least right now. And Vegas clearly is in no rush to get him signed.
6. Wyatt Kaiser, D, Chicago Blackhawks
Pressure raking: One star
The Breakdown: The Blackhawks are mired in rebuilding hell, but money isn’t a problem for Chicago, which currently has $18.6 million in cap space. But handing out a lot of money on a long-term deal for the 23-year-old Kaiser doesn’t make much sense from the Hawks’ perspective.
Kaiser did play a career-high 57 games for the Blackhawks last season, but that’s not going to translate into a huge financial windfall for the blueliner. They can afford to take their time getting Kaiser under contract, and only the hardcore Hawks fans will notice him not being in the lineup if it comes to that. But we see Kaiser getting a new deal done before the season begins. The Hawks can afford to give him a decent raise and let him earn a bigger payday down the road.
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