- Patrick Kane and Patrik Laine lead the big names still unsigned after Day 1 of free agency
- Anthony Mantha is on the market coming off a career-high 64 points in Pittsburgh
- Read below for the full list of veterans still waiting on a deal
The first day of NHL free agency moved a ton of money. It didn’t move everybody.
Patrick Kane is still on the market. So is Patrik Laine. A day after the frenzy opened, a handful of familiar names are sitting there unsigned, and a couple of them can flat-out score.
Kane is the headliner. The 37-year-old put up 57 points (16 goals, 41 assists) in 67 games for Detroit last season, so this isn’t some washed-up name hanging on for one more year. He wants to keep going, and he’s made no secret about where he’d like to do it.
Kane has been open about wanting to stay with the Red Wings:
Laine is the boom-or-bust bet. The 28-year-old barely played last season, managing one assist in five games for Montreal before an injury shut him down after October 16. When he’s healthy, he’s a 20-goal lock and one of the scariest pure shooters in the league. That is a lot of upside for a team willing to gamble on his health.
His shot has been a problem for goalies going back years:
Anthony Mantha might be the strangest name left. The 31-year-old just posted career highs across the board in Pittsburgh with 33 goals, 31 assists and 64 points in 81 games. Coming off a year like that, you’d figure he would have been gone by lunch on Day 1.
Veteran depth is still hanging around too. Claude Giroux, 38, had 49 points in Ottawa and hit the open market after his talks with the Senators stalled. Jamie Benn had 36 points in his 17th season as a Star. On the back end, John Klingberg and Logan Stanley are both available for anyone shopping for a defenseman on the cheap.
Alex Ovechkin technically sits on the UFA list as well, though his situation is its own separate story with Washington still juggling the cap. The second wave of signings is usually where teams find the real value, and this group has plenty of it left.
Kane, Laine and Mantha won’t stay unsigned for long. Somebody always talks themselves into the upside.
