Five unheralded, pending NHL Group VI Free Agents to Watch
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Every year, there are approximately 75 players on NHL contracts who are set free by Group VI free agency. They are players who have been given a shot, maybe played a few NHL games, but are getting older and as a result are no longer really considered prospects – so they become a unique category of unrestricted free agents when their contract is up, instead of remaining restricted under team control.
And every year, NHL teams track games played by this group of players and scour the market hoping to mine a diamond in the rough.
Every so often, one slips through the cracks. Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting was a Group VI UFA leaving Arizona two years ago. He’s piled up 43 goals and 106 points in the two seasons since and will become a very wealthy man this offseason. Yanni Gourde was on track to become a Group Sixer in Tampa Bay before he was re-signed a few days before reaching free agency in June 2017. The Florida Panthers signed Jonathan Marchessault as a Group VI free agent in 2016 and that was his springboard to the NHL.
But those budding stars are the exception and not the rule. The Group VI UFA list is typically littered with nondescript, replacement-level players who may not earn another NHL contract.
To qualify for Group VI UFA, a player must meet all of the following criteria: 1) Be on an expiring contract; 2) Be 25 years old as of June 30 contract year; 3) Completed three professional seasons (NHL, minors, Europe and Stanley Cup playoffs all count); 4) Played in fewer than 80 NHL games, or 28 NHL games of 30 minutes or more for NHL goalies.
That 80-game standard was pro-rated through the pandemic years, and so most players may only need to play 72 or 76 games. One of those players likely to hit his target is Pittsburgh’s Drew O’Connor, who will remain an RFA in Pittsburgh’s organization with five more games played this season.
With the help of our friends at CapFriendly.com who have diligently tracked these players, let’s take a look at five players who will garner interest this summer as Group VI UFAs:
1. MIKEY EYSSIMONT
Right Wing, Tampa Bay Lightning
Age: 26
Height: 6-foot-0 | Weight: 192 lbs.
Stats: 47 NHL career GP, 4 goals, 9 assists, 13 points
Scoop: Eyssimont is a bit of an analytics darling and his deadline trade to Tampa Bay certainly raised eyebrows. He technically still has the ability to remain an RFA with 28 more games played with the Bolts, which is a possibility if Tampa goes on a deep playoff run and he plays every game, but Eyssimont was a healthy scratch on Thursday as part of a roster rotation. The truth is the Sharks didn’t have the games available to retain him under team control and Tampa Bay did. Coach Jon Cooper has said Eyssimont has been “all over the ice, in a good way” since joining the team. His numbers aren’t eye-popping, but he can play.
2. MATTHEW PHILLIPS
Forward, Calgary Flames
Age: 24 (Turns 25 on April 6)
Height: 5-foot-7 | Weight: 160 lbs.
Stats: 3 NHL career GP, 0 goals, 0 points
Scoop: Phillips is a classic ‘tweener’ or ‘AAAA’ player. Phillips has ELITE level skill and ranks sixth in AHL scoring for the Calgary Wranglers. He actually edges Marchessault in goals per game (0.36 to 0.32) and points per game (0.87 to 0.86) in a very similar sample size in the AHL. But size is considered an issue for Phillips, more weight than height. Marchessault isn’t listed much bigger at 5-9 and 174 lbs, but that 15 to 20 lbs is a big deal. Teams view it as tough to find a full-time NHL role for Phillips, who has only gotten a small taste of the big leagues and hasn’t really been given much of a chance under Darryl Sutter.
3. CONNOR MACKEY
Left Defense, Arizona Coyotes
Age: 26
Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 201 lbs.
Stats: 26 NHL career GP, 3 goals, 6 assists, 9 points
Scoop: Sutter booted Mackey to Arizona, part of the Deadline Day deal for Troy Stecher that also included the NHL’s first brother-for-brother trade in Nick and Brett Ritchie. This was Mackey’s first full-time NHL season; the Flames picked him over former Top 4 defenseman Juuso Valimaki out of training camp, who was recovering from a significant knee tear. Valimaki has been impressive in Arizona with 28 points in 65 games. Could Mackey do the same? He signed in Calgary as an undrafted free agent at age 24 and scored at a 0.68 points per game rate as a defenseman in the AHL. That’s an impressive clip.
4. ERIK KALLGREN
Goaltender, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 26
Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 190 lbs.
Stats: 24 NHL career GP, 11-6-5 record, 3.04 GAA, .892 Sv%
Scoop: Really through no fault of his own, Kallgren has slid to No. 4 on the Maple Leafs’ depth chart behind Ilya Samsonov, Matt Murray and Joe Woll. The Leafs seem to be big believers in Woll, whose numbers have been outstanding this season. Kallgren has played a decent chunk of NHL games and his numbers aren’t eye-popping, but what he did show in his opportunity was that the moment wasn’t too big for him, displaying a bit of poise that is intriguing. When dealing with a talented European-born goalie, though, the big question always is whether it’s more appealing to battle as an organizational No. 3 netminder or make bigger money playing in Europe as a starter. He has options.
5. MITCHELL CHAFFEE
Right Wing, Minnesota Wild
Age: 25
Height: 6-foot-0 | Weight: 207 lbs.
Stats: 2 NHL career GP, 0 goals, 0 points
Scoop: Chaffee is one of those under-the-radar, potentially sneaky good signings because he has an NHL-level weapon in his shot. He can shoot the puck. It might not cover up for what teams have described as an inconsistent compete level, but he did score 23 goals in just 49 games in the AHL last season, and was a consistent scorer at UMass-Amherst before signing in Minnesota as an undrafted free agent. This year, Chaffee was off to a great start with five goals in 10 games before suffering a season-ending knee injury requiring surgery. The Wild still like Chaffee and he’s a possibility to re-sign there. But he’s also on track to hit the open market if there is a suitor out there who might be willing to offer a better contract.
Honorable Mention: Will Lockwood, New York Rangers. Lockwood’s speed will continue to earn him chances to make it in the NHL.