The NHL Free Agency frenzy really was a frenzy this year. Over 100 players changed teams on day one of unrestricted free agency. The amount of movement across the league was incredible. This was only day one. Since then, a lot more players have also changed teams. We’ll review the best fantasy hockey free-agent signings from this log jam of movement.
The players I’ve selected are my picks to have landed in the best spot to help your fantasy hockey team.
Let’s dig in.
The Best Fantasy Hockey Free Agent Signings:
Jake Guentzel, LW, Tampa Bay Lightning.
This is my pick as the best fantasy hockey free-agent signing.
With the departure of Stamkos, Guenztel slides into his spot on the top line and top power-play unit. For the last seven seasons, Guentzel has been a consistent point-per-game player. Playing with Sidney Crosby, C, Pittsburgh Penguins, didn’t hurt.
While Brayden Point, C, Tampa Bay Lightning, isn’t Crosby, he’s no slouch either. Guentzel should benefit from playing with one of the best power play specialists in the league, Nikita Kucherov, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning.
We can expect another point-per-game season from Guentzel. That should be the base expectation. There is an opportunity here for Guentzel to unlock another level. This could be the first time he hits 90 points.
As long as he remains healthy, I’m expecting a career year in goals, points, and power-play points.
Sam Reinhart, RW, Florida Panthers
His inclusion is a bit of a double-edged sword. He is coming off a 57-goal season with a heavily inflated 24.5 SH% (shooting percentage). The regression monster is coming for him. Without a major boost in shots, he will be hard-pressed to reach 50 goals in 2024-25.
He re-signed with the Panthers, so why am I including him?
The only chance Reinhart could repeat last season is by staying with the Florida Panthers. There is a chemistry on that team that is undeniable and irreplaceable. Often, a player will have incredible success with one team and then leave in free agency. They go to a new team and they never produce the same again. Sometimes the best fantasy hockey free-agent signings are the ones that stay put.
Playing with Matthew Tkachuk, RW, Florida Panthers, and Alexander Barkov, C, Florida Panthers, is the best place for him.
In three of the past four seasons, Reinhart has had a 17 SH% or higher. If he has another year with 230 shots, Reinhart should push for 40 goals. A point-per-game season is what we should expect. Had he signed elsewhere, he ran the risk of seeing that production take an even bigger dip. Sometimes the best free-agent pick-up for fantasy hockey is the player that stays put.
Jake DeBrusk, LW, Vancouver Canucks
I’m not expecting DeBrusk to become the next J.T. Miller, C/LW, Vancouver Canucks. I do believe DeBrusk has a lot more to give than the career-high of 50 points he produced with the Boston Bruins.
Seven years is too long. The $5.5 million AAV the contract carries is on the high side for my liking. That was the market. No matter where he signed, he would receive a similar AAV
DeBrusk’s last couple of years in Boston were tumultuous, to say the least. Things got better once they hired Jim Montgomery, and DeBrusk withdrew his request to be traded. However, he didn’t waste any time leaving once he became an unrestricted free agent.
He’ll have every opportunity to earn a top-six spot alongside Miller or Elias Pettersson, C, Vancouver Canucks. There’s even a potential spot open on the Canucks first power-play unit.
DeBrusk has the potential to produce at a higher level than he did with the Bruins. He’ll get the leash to reach that potential this year. I’m expecting a career-high in points, at least a 10-point bump on his previous career-high of 50 points. It doesn’t make him a fantasy stud by any stretch. DeBrusk should improve from waiver fodder to a solid bench option for your fantasy hockey team.
Elias Lindholm, C, Boston Bruins
The Bruins have been chasing Lindholm for a while now. He won’t fill the void left by Patrice Bergeron, C, Boston Bruins, but he does provide them with a significant improvement at center.
Hopefully, Lindholm has forgotten about last year already. It was a horrific season on all accounts.
The Bruins seem to have a knack for bringing in players they’ve identified as fitting their system and getting the best out of them. Lindholm stands a good chance of being another example of this.
Lindholm will enjoy playing with David Pastrnak, RW, Boston Bruins, especially on the power play. Expect Lindholm to once again surpass 70 points.
Jeff Skinner, LW, Edmonton Oilers.
Skinner could end up as the best fantasy hockey free-agent signing of the summer. At $2.6 million, he could be even more valuable in salary-cap leagues.
Almost everyone on the Buffalo Sabres had a down year last year. It wasn’t just Skinner. His 24 goals finished third on the team in 2023-24. He’s one year removed from a 35-goal, 82-point season. He should line up in the Oilers’ top six and be centered by either Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton Oilers, or Leon Draisaitl, C, Edmonton Oilers. Both are a significant improvement over Tage Thompson, C, Buffalo Sabres, and Dylan Cozens, C, Buffalo Sabres (no disrespect to them).
We should temper expectations a little bit. After all, he won’t get a sniff of the first power play unless someone suffers an injury. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C/LW, Edmonton Oilers, Zach Hyman, LW, Edmonton Oilers, Draisiatl, and McDavid have the four forward spots locked up. This will limit his offensive output. If he consistently lines up with McDavid at five-on-five he could reach 30 goals without including power play production.
Shayne Gostisbehere, D, Carolina Hurricanes
At three years $3.2 million AAV, Gostisbehere once again provides an excellent offensive option in all formats. In multi-cat leagues, he does lose value due to his lack of hits and blocks.
Gostisbehere simply produces. Coming off an underrated 56-point season in Detroit, he’s poised to quarterback the Hurricanes’ first power play unit. At 39, it appears Brent Burns has lost a step. The top power play job is there for the taking. Of his 56 points, 31 were on the power play. This is who Gostisbehere is. He’ll receive limited minutes at five-on-five, after all, he’s not a very good defender. If you land Gostisbehere, you’re looking to boost your power play totals. Don’t expect much beyond goals, assists, and power play points.
The great thing about targeting Gostisbehere is how late he is usually drafted. He provides great value in the late-mid rounds of your draft. Fifty-point defencemen don’t grow trees.
If he can grab a spot on that top power play unit early in the year, Gostisbehere looms as a 60-point dark horse. There weren’t a lot of unrestricted free-agent defencemen. Based on his potential draft position, Gostisbehere offers the best bang for your buck. He’s my pick as this year’s best fantasy hockey free agent signing on the blue line.
I know some will point to Brady Skjei, D, Nashville Predators. I agree, he’s a great signing in Nashville. There is a guy though, named Roman Josi, D, Nashville Predators who rules the roost on the power play. It’s for that reason I went with Gostisbehere.
Thanks for reading.
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