Five pending NHL UFAs exceeding their current salary values

Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

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With the NHL’s salary cap barely moving in recent years, and many star players seeking more cash, it’s put some talented players in a tough spot.

No team has been in a position to overpay – which, by the way, isn’t a good thing to do if you’re an NHL GM. But that meant some notable players were forced to take salary cuts just to earn roster spots, and many did one-year deals hoping to cash in later on.

For most of the players listed below, that’s precisely what has happened. Short deals have become common for players who once earned more elsewhere, hoping to breathe new life into their careers. And for these five, they’ve made the most of their opportunities despite making $3 million or less:

Max Domi, C (Chicago Blackhawks, $3 million)

Domi likely isn’t going to break the 70-point barrier again, but at 27 years old, he still brings a ton of value. Domi signed a one-year deal worth $3 million and has excelled with the Blackhawks at a near 60-point pace. Given the team’s state, Domi’s numbers are excellent, and he’s been one of the main reasons to watch the team in action this year. But that makes him a prime rental target for the second consecutive year. It’ll be interesting to see which contender snags him now because he’s proven he can be a valuable middle-six forward.

Erik Gustafsson, D (Washington Capitals, $800,000)

Gustafsson has gained a reputation as one of the better offensive defensemen in the game, but one with significant defensive flaws. The Caps knew that, and it’s why he’s used mainly to help generate offense, anyways. He leads all Caps defensemen with 29 points, sits fifth with two goals above expected, and has a whopping 11.5 goals above replacement and 1.9 wins above replacement – both are team highs. Gustafsson is doing all that for a little above league minimum, adding some extra offensive flair as the team has dealt with injuries for top defenseman John Carlson. This is easily one of Gustafsson’s better seasons, and he’s due for a significant raise – if teams are willing to bite on an up-and-down defender. But the highs are definitely high, like we’re seeing this year.

Conor Sheary, LW (Washington Capitals, $1.5 million)

Sheary’s career has been interesting, to say the least. After scoring 23 goals and 53 points as a sophomore in 2016-17, he never could replicate the success and bounced around between the Sabres and Penguins. He landed in Washington in 2020-21 making $735,000, a huge drop from his $3 million AAV deal before that. Sheary played well, though, and earned a new two-year deal and scoring 19 goals and 43 points in a top-six role last year. He’s set to surpass that this season, playing a big role for a club that has dealt with significant injury issues this season. Now that he’s back in the swing of things, expect a nice price hike.

Evan Rodrigues, RW (Colorado Avalanche, $2 million)

Rodrigues was one of the last notable forwards signed over the summer, and he’s having the best season of his career. He missed some time earlier in the season with an injury, but he’s still on pace to hit the 50-point mark after scoring a career-high 19 goals and 43 points a year ago. A standout second-liner, He’s been the swiss-army knife that made him so valuable in Pittsburgh, and is precisely the type of player teams like Colorado would typically love to add at the deadline. After two notable seasons giving him a much more prolific sample size, Rodrigues should be a hot commodity this summer.

Martin Jones, G (Seattle Kraken, $2 million)

One of the biggest to-do-list items last summer for GM Ron Francis was to bring in a goaltender who could drastically improve an otherwise league-worst situation. So many laughed when they signed Jones, who struggled mightily over the four years prior with San Jose and Philadelphia. Instead, Jones has posted a 23-8-3 record with three shutouts and could realistically hit the 40-win mark for the first time in his career. Crazy, right? His advanced numbers aren’t great, and his overall save percentage is near the bottom, but wins are wins. The 33-year-old has found a way to inject new life into a career that looked nearly over, and now the Kraken have to decide if he’s worth keeping around over the next few years while still paying Philipp Grubauer until 2027.