All These Jerks Re-Signed
Happy Canada Day. I wrote a big Free Agency Guide for EliteProspects. I was very proud of it and you should check it out. Then, before it could be published post-draft, all the guys re-signed. So since they had to be scrubbed from the actual piece, I thought in the interest of not wasting all that effort I’d just post the blurbs for the guys who re-signed here. Will anyone want to read it? Probably not! But anyway, here goes.
Aaron Ekblad - RD, 29
Projected Contract: 7 x $7.8 million
One of the few players from whom playing a big role on a Cup winner has actually negatively affected his stock around the league, Ekblad may not be the high-end #1 defenceman he was thought to be when he finished sixth in Norris voting back in 2022 but he’s more than capable of lugging big, difficult minutes with solid results. At this point he lacks any really special elements in his game and he has lost a step the past few seasons, but that’s unlikely to put off teams looking to fill that all-important top pair right-defence spot in the lineup with a low-maintenance player with plenty of playoff experience who can win pucks in the defensive zone and chuck point shots. He’s shown some impressive highs in the playoffs but inconsistency as well, which combines with his declining regular season results to put a bit of doubt in his ability to live up to a long-term big-money deal.
Sam Bennett - C, 29
Projected Contract: 6 x $6.6 million
Undoubtedly destined to exceed his projected contract due to a career postseason, 31 other teams are looking to either sign Bennett or replicate him. Despite only surpassing the 50 point mark once in his career, he’s one of the few players in the league who consistently elevates his game in the playoffs, combining puck skill with peskiness and snarl. He’s a legitimate play-driver on offence, carrying the puck gracefully in transition despite average footspeed and distributing it just as well as he crashes the slot. He causes chaos in front of the net and uses forechecking as an excuse to finish checks hard, which results in a ton of minor penalties but adds to his impact when games tighten up. Given his age and pugnacious style a long-term big-money deal might end up looking rough on the back half, but it’s hard to blame a team for watching him these postseasons and wanting that guy on their second line.
John Tavares - C/LW, 34
Projected Contract: 3 x $7.9 million
Tavares’ seven-year blockbuster deal with the Leafs is up, and while his production is very similar to what it was leading up to that contract it’s pretty unlikely he gets anywhere close to that seven-figure cap hit again. While he may not be the elite offensive play-driver he was back in 2018, he has the same nose for the net and willingness to go where the goals are. Few players create as many chances in the slot as he does, and almost none are as tenacious or effective at winning battles for the puck along the wall. His limitations, such as less-than-graceful skating, annoying hooking penalties, and a lesser role in transition, are a lot easier to swallow at a cap hit well below franchise-player level.
Matt Duchene - C/LW/RW, 34
Projected Contract: 3 x $7.2 million
It’s tough to think of a player who provided more value for his salary in the past two years than Duchene did for Dallas after getting bought out by the Predators in 2023. Even though he’s no longer one of the fastest players in the league he remains a quick and crafty puck carrier who creates off the rush at elite rates, making defenders look silly. His comfort while holding the puck against pressure opens up lanes in the offensive zone and he’s got the passing skill to exploit them while keeping the shooting option open from the high slot. Nobody will sign him because they’re looking for physicality or staunch defensive play, but in the short term he ought to provide enough spark on offence to counteract those weaknesses.
Dante Fabbro - RD, 27
Projected Contract: 4 x $4.5 million
Summer 2025 is not the best time to be an undersized defenceman with not a whole lot of mobility, otherwise Fabbro would probably be getting more attention. He’s young for a UFA and is coming off a successful season in which he played legit top-four minutes next to Provorov and Zach Werenski and came out ahead. Given his track record of success next to guys like Werenski and Josi, you would hope that he gets a serious look from a team trying to fill the right defence spot next to a talented left-handed partner. While he’s limited in terms of imposing his will physically or winning races, Fabbro is capable of shouldering a pretty heavy puck retrieval burden in the defensive zone, he’s got an active stick, and his skill as a puck-mover allows him to take the heat off his partner.
Ryan Donato - C, LW, 29
Projected Contract: 3 x $4.2 million
Donato took the biggest role of his NHL career and ran with it in 2024-25, doubling his career-high in points and hitting the 30-goal mark as a second-liner for the Hawks. That ought to mean a serious raise from the $2 million he’s been making for a couple of seasons, but how much stock can we put in such an outlier season? There’s a lot to like in his game, from his heavy release to his willingness to go to tough areas to his physical edge. Despite zero goals in 19 career playoff games (almost all as a fringe fourth liner), it’s not tough for me to envision a team thinking he has the drive and scoring skill to contribute to a Cup contender.
Henri Jokiharju - RD, 26
Projected Contract: 3 x $3.6 million
Right-handed defencemen will always draw some interest, and Jokiharju can point to a couple seasons of top-four ice time to make the case that he deserves more than a depth role and salary this offseason. He has some passing skill and above-average mobility but turnovers and leaky rush defence can make him frustrating to watch, and he probably ought to be on a bottom pairing.
Claude Giroux - RW/C, 37
Projected Contract: 2 x $5.2 million
One of the best forwards of his era, Giroux is still a contributor but saw his game take a step back in 2024-25. He’s a stabilizer who at this point isn’t going to handle the puck too much or move up the ice quickly, but he can make a quick facilitating play to help his linemate get up and running and move the puck up to the point. Further decline as his feet continue to slow should probably be priced in.
Jamie Benn - LW, 35
Projected Contract: 2 x $4.8 milion
The longtime Stars captain had a productive but foreboding performance in the regular season that presaged a disastrous post-season. Despite a near-total lack of footspeed, Benn put up points efficiently in a middle six role while contributing offensively in a well-rounded way. Unfortunately, this was counteracted by nose-diving defence and a near-league-worst penalty impact, and that only continued in the playoffs. Benn can’t seem to stay out of the box, making his cold streaks even more damaging.
Reilly Smith - RW, 34
Projected Contract: 2 x $4.4 million
In terms of short-term veteran wing options, Smith profiles as well as any. He’s a well-rounded middle six option who can strike off the rush, go to the net, and even kill penalties. He’s settled into a solid facilitator as he’s entered his mid-thirties. Here’s the only problem: playing hockey anywhere other than Vegas seems to make him utterly miserable. If he goes anywhere else, is it just a matter of time until he pouts his way back to the desert?
Brandon Saad - LW, 32
Projected Contract: 2 x $2.6 million
Assuming they don’t replicate his terminated deal with the Blues, it’s hard to imagine a team being upset with Saad in a short-term deal. He still has decent wheels, still gets to the net, and scores at a reasonable rate while pitching in off the rush. There’s nothing wrong with playing him in a third line role and he’s not even as old as you might think.