2027 free agency class is set to be barren yet again

While there is plenty of hockey to be played before the Stanley Cup is handed out this spring, there’s growing concern about the lack of excitement come next offseason.

Following the Detroit Red Wings signing forward Alex DeBrincat to a seven-year contract extension, it was another notable player off the list for free agency next summer. Players like Cale Makar and Mark Stone also have signed contracts. That leads many to wonder how many big names will be available to be signed on July 1, 2027.

On Wednesday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton debate whether the 2027 free agent class is worth getting excited about.

Carter Hutton: I just circle back to last year. Remember we sat here, I think all the time I was like, ‘Who’s gonna make it to be a UFA?’ DeBrincat was one of those names that was floating out there, and I wonder if this starts to put pressure on some other guys too, to get that guaranteed money with the looming fact of like a full season when these numbers- now you’re getting pre-free agency are so high, almost forcing your hand to take the guaranteed money because you’re an injury away from…that’s $91 million. Getting that deal done right now, ‘I can wait and maybe my $91 million becomes $100 million. What does that 9 million matter if I blow my knee out, if something happens?’ I think it’s going to be really…outside of Quinn Hughes and his confidence and where he’s at, Jason Robertson is one I’m watching, Kucherov. Do they make it to UFA status because the absorbent amount of money that’s being offered to these free agents here?

Tyler Yaremchuk: The five best remaining pending unrestricted free agents for next July 1, and I think we all kind of assume Nikita Kucherov is going to stay put. … Jason Robertson, maybe there’s some intrigue there, but even that’s a guy where the name is so big – he signed that one-year deal – I think they reconcile and make the work. Quinn Hughes, you’re right. That’s an interesting one. Sidney Crosby is going to stay in Pittsburgh. Ryan O’Reilly…I mean, he’s 35, almost 36 years old. Let’s not pretend like that’s going to be this big, intriguing, fancy July 1 UFA.

Even when you go deeper from there, it’s like Ovi’s in his last year. Malkin might be in his last year. Carlson’s 36. He’ll be 37 at that point. … July 1 is gonna suck…Like if the rental market sucks, the trade deadline market usually sucks. Maybe this is just the downside of the cap going up and everyone having money, is that these guys are just going to get locked up, and trade deadlines and free agency won’t be as fun.

You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…