NHL Free Agency: Latest Buzz on Ilya Kovalchuk, James van Riemsdyk and More

At one point, the 2018 NHL free-agency class looked like it could be stacked.

Cam Fowler, Carey Price, Craig Anderson, Bryan Little, Kyle Turris and Cam Atkinson were slated to hit the open market on July 1. But all of their respective teams decided to lock them up to new contracts before that could happen.

As the 2017-18 season wore on, more names fell off the potential free-agency list, leaving slim pickings for any organization that was hoping to land a marquee skater over the summer without having to give up picks, prospects, a star of its own or a combination of the three.

John Tavares and John Carlson are both outstanding players, but there’s a solid drop off after those two.

Still, there are some quality options available for general managers who are looking to add a middle-six forward or some depth on defense. As usual, the cost will be high for these free agents, but for teams with cap space, Ilya Kovalchuk, James van Riemsdyk and Mike Green could turn out to be attractive possibilities.

Ilya Kovalchuk Wants to Win, But Where Can He Do That?

After spending the past five seasons in the KHL, Kovalchuk has decided to return to North America. Earlier in June, NHL insider Darren Dreger of TSN reported that the forward’s agent had been in contact with “at least eight teams,” which isn’t too surprising considering the 31 goals Kovalchuk scored in 53 games this season.

Scoring goals is still the toughest thing to do in the NHL, and Kovalchuk is among this generation’s top finishers. His age (35) will likely prevent him from landing a long-term deal, but that doesn’t mean he won’t have the opportunity to make some serious cash on an incentive-laden contract.

Then again, it doesn’t sound like money is the most important thing to Kovalchuk. He was up front with Dreger about that fact when they spoke, saying:

“The NHL is the best league in the world and the Stanley Cup is the toughest thing to win. I’ve won the Gagarin Cup twice in the KHL. I know what it takes. But in the NHL there are more regular-season games and all of the best players are playing here, so it’s a big challenge. I was here for a long time and I know what it takes to get to the final, but I’ve never had a chance to raise the Cup. Now as I’m watching the Stanley Cup Final games you can see how important it is for the players and the fans. It’s very exciting.“

With nearly one-third of the NHL interested in Kovalchuk’s services, he will be able to choose whichever squad he believes is closest to winning the Stanley Cup. An interesting potential destination is New York.

With Lou Lamoriello taking over the New York Islanders recently, there’s an obvious connection between the former New Jersey Devils executive and Kovalchuk. If John Tavares decides to re-sign, how intriguing a destination would Long Island be for the returning sniper? One of the best passers in the league connecting with a shooter of that caliber would be deadly.

The Islanders would have an even more potent top six than they did last season, which could put them back on the road to the postseason. Dreger wrote about the possibility in the May 25 edition of 31 Thoughts: “Getting anything out of Lamoriello is like trying to rob an impenetrable safe, but word is that the team will take a run at Ilya Kovalchuk and has let it be known it will upgrade in goal.”

There are lots of moving parts on this front, but it should be one of the most entertaining stories of the offseason.

Plenty of James van Riemsdyk Speculation to Digest

Van Riemsdyk is another player who can find the back of the net with regularity, and teams with cap space and a desire for more offense could look the way of the 29-year-old forward.

Before Evander Kane signed his seven-year, $49 million contract with the San Jose Sharks in May, JVR could have been a steal for an interested contender. Now, however, the market has set a value for Van Riemsdyk, and he’s poised to cash in after scoring 65 goals over the past two seasons.

Over the past three campaigns, only 17 forwards have a better goals-per-game average than Van Riemsdyk (0.39), and he’s within shouting distance of the top 10, where 0.43 is the cutoff. He still has a handful of prime years left, and even once he starts to inevitably decline in his early to mid-30s, the wing should still be capable of finishing chances at a high-enough rate to make his cap hit worth it.

Not surprisingly, a handful of teams on the rise would love to get their hands on him. The cost could be prohibitive, but Tom Hunter of Mile High Hockey believes Van Riemsdyk would be a fantastic fit for the Colorado Avalanche: “There’s no doubt JVR would be a perfect on-ice fit for the Avalanche. His skill set fits in perfectly with the core of this team, and he would fill the giant need for secondary scoring. He just might not be worth the big contract he’ll inevitably receive on the open market.”

Over at Pucks and Pitchforks, Nick Villano doesn’t think the Devils should bat an eye regarding Van Riemsdyk’s cost. His reasoning is simple enough: “GM Ray Shero needs to go hard after Van Riemsdyk. Even if he costs $6 million over four years, that pays him until he’s 33. He will likely keep his production up through all four of those years, barring injury. Those are the types of free agents Shero should be willing to make moves on.”

Could the Detroit Red Wings Bring Back Mike Green?

The Detroit Red Wings are in dire need of difference-makers on the blue line, and general manager Ken Holland has already spoken to Green’s representatives regarding possibly bringing him back into the fold in Motown.

This is according to a report from NHL.com on May 30.

It’s an interesting possibility for the Red Wings, but it doesn’t seem to jell with Holland’s expressed desire to get younger and faster. Re-signing someone like Green isn’t typically the way rebuilds are undertaken.

If July 1 rolls around and Green could be signed on the cheap and for a limited term, then perhaps there’s a deal to be made. The veteran defender had his 2017-18 season cut short by spinal surgery, which prevented the Red Wings from moving him at the trade deadline.

Another potential suitor is Green’s old team, the Washington Capitals. During the All-Star weekend in January, there were some rumblings that the franchise that drafted the defenseman would be interested in reacquiring him, per the Washington Post.

There was way more smoke than fire in that scenario, but if the Capitals lose Carlson to free agency, could they look to secure Green’s services as a way to solidify their top four? There aren’t many quality defenders available as free agents this summer, which could work in the 32-year-old’s favor.

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