2023 NHL Offseason: Five Remaining Names To Watch This Summer

The dog days of the 2023 NHL Offseason are here. After the whirlwind that was Free Agency Frenzy, things have quieted down with the signings. However, there are still some big names out there looking to find new homes.

A lot of the attention will be on the restricted free agents signing new deals before their arbitration dates arrive. Not to mention the rumors floating out there about several big players finding new homes. Obviously, Alex DeBrincat is now off the board. But there are still two big names out there and even more.

Looking at the Top 10 Free Agents list earlier in the offseason, there are only two guys remaining from the list looking for a new home. That is pretty good. The players in the top 10 found new homes outside of Ivan Barbashev. A couple of those players Tyler Bertuzzi, John Klingberg, and Max Domi took one-year deals betting on themselves and the salary cap going up next year. Even Dmitry Orlov took a short-term deal in Carolina with a nice AAV in the hopes he cashes in a bigger deal down the road. While Alex Killorn signed a longer-term deal in Anaheim. That one was weird.

Again the salary cap was the big winner of free agency. Those that were not in the top 10 list either stayed with their team or signed relatively short deals on a new team. One thing is for sure the action off the ice is still swirling even though things are trickling in slowly.

Time to look at the Five Remaining Players to watch this offseason.

2023 NHL Offseason: Five Players To Watch

1) Connor Hellebuyck

The biggest name out there right now in the 2023 NHL Offseason is Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets. He has made it no secret he wants out and is not going to re-sign long-term with the Jets. With Alex DeBrincat out of the way, all the focus is turned to Hellebuyck. Will he or won’t he be traded?

Hellebuyck is one of the Elite goaltenders in the NHL. One of the big reasons why he has not been traded is his ask about what his next salary will be on his next contract. The report is he is looking for Andrei Vasilevskiy-type money. Well, that means his next contract would carry an AAV of $9.5 million. That is steep for teams considering he is over the age of 30. Not to mention those teams are not sure how much the salary cap will go up by.

However, whoever gets Hellebuyck becomes an instant contender. The most obvious landing spot is the New Jersey Devils. We know they are looking to improve their goaltending. New Jersey becomes a contender for many years to come with him between the pipes. General manager Tom Fitzgerald could lock him under that number on a short term. But what will be the cost to get Hellebuyck? Could Buffalo be in the mix? Again it is on Winnipeg’s time to get this done, but it should be done before training camp or else it is a distraction.

2) Vladimir Tarasenko

The New York Rangers to a gamble on Vladimir Tarasenko and it paid off for the most part. He played well for the Blueshirts. Tarasenko was one of the players acquired before the deadline by the Rangers. He fit in nicely with them and made an impact. It appears Tarasenko wants to come back to the Rangers, but the question is can the Rangers afford him? There will be a market for Tarasenko. He can still score goals and is a threat on the power play. With the Rangers looking to get the younger players more involved and the question of dollars, Tarasenko may find himself on a new team unless he takes a pay cut to stay.

Interesting to note that Tarasenko was going to sign a deal with the Carolina Hurricanes. However, that fell through. Tarasenko fired his agent and is weighing all of his options. He really wants to stay in the New York area and is willing to only take a one-year deal to make it happen. It is surprising he has not signed anywhere but he is taking his time and weighing all of his options. Teams in the mix include the Rangers, Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, and maybe the Florida Panthers. There could be others.

3) Erik Karlsson

Another name on the trade board that has been floating around is defenceman Erik Karlsson. Karlsson is coming off a bounce-back season. He won the Norris Trophy with 101 points. Karlsson seems to be back in full health after his Achilles injury before he got traded from the Ottawa Senators to the San Jose Sharks. We know he is not great defensively, but his teams are not getting him for his defence they are getting him for his offence.

A major sticking point is his contract. He has four more seasons at $11.5 million AAV. That is deterring a lot of teams from acquiring him. Again the Sharks are willing to retain but they do not want to go past 25 percent, but they may have to in order to get this deal done. Again the Sharks control all the cards here. They do not have to trade him, but Karlsson is open to trade even with a no-movement clause. And maybe this deal waits until the trade deadline or next offseason.

Karlsson likes it in San Jose, but it feels like his team in San Jose is coming to an end. The Sharks may have to up their retention and get a third team involved to make this deal happen. We have heard the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes are interested in acquiring him. The Hurricanes are interesting considering Brent Burns and Karlsson were on the Sharks and that did not work out well for Karlsson and his point production. The Penguins are up against the salary cap. Could a reunion with the Senators be a possibility, he is open to it.

Around Full Press Hockey

NHL: Vegas Golden Knights Crowned Stanley Cup Champions

NHL Rumors: NHL Rumors: Devils Remain Interested In Adding Connor Hellebuyck

NHL: 2023 NHL Offseason: Top 10 NHL Free Agents

NFL: Best Bets For 2022 NFL Defensive Rookie Of The Year

Full Press Bets: Odds Favor The Avalanche To Repeat As Stanley Cup Champions

PODCAST: Full Press Hockey Weekly Ep 63: Vegas Golden Knights Win Stanley Cup

4) John Gibson

Another goalie to watch this offseason is John Gibson. With Gibson, there are conflicting reports about his availability. However, with Anaheim in a rebuild, it would be in the best interest of the Ducks to move Gibson. It just feels like the time is right for Gibson to move on.

Gibson has a better contract for some teams at a $6.4 million cap hit over the next four seasons. In addition, he has a modified no-trade clause. Though his numbers have come down some after breaking into the league, there is a reason. Gibson has probably faced the most shots over the last couple of years. The Ducks are one of the worst teams in the league. It felt like Gibson was on the move to Pittsburgh, but that never happened.

Again are the Devils in the mix? What about the Buffalo Sabres? A contending team or a team looking to take the next step could use his services.

5) Matt Dumba

One of the top defenceman remains on the board. With Damon Severson traded to Columbus, Matt Dumba will command a market. It seems like only yesterday when he signed that five-year, $30 million deal with the Minnesota Wild to stay. Now, it appears he is on the way out. Dumba’s ability will get him a nice raise. Not to mention, Dumba is under 30, in his prime years and is a right-shot defenceman that plays 21 minutes a night. Those are hard to come by. While general manager Bill Guerin would like to get something for him in a trade, he is probably walking into free agency with the money trucks backing up to him.

There has not been much chatter about Dumba either. It will be interesting to see where he signs. Considering his talent he may have to take a pay cut and a one-year deal. Again the salary cap is a big reason why he has not signed.

Again we need to make mention that Patrick Kane, Patrice Bergeron, and David Krejci, could all be on this list. However,  there was not so much uncertainty around them. Kane will be out for 4-6 months because of hip resurfacing surgery. He will take his time to see what contending team wants him and can afford him. Bergeron and Krejci are taking their time with their decisions. It is Boston or retirement for both players.

Another name to watch during this 2023 NHL Offseason is Auston Matthews. He is eligible for an extension and we know he will be the highest-paid player in the league. Toronto should make this a priority before the season starts or else it will be a distraction. The question will be how long will Matthews sign for? It could be three or five seasons before he hits it big on the next one again.

That does it for the five remaining players to watch this 2023 NHL Offseason.