NHL Offseason Preview: Five Under-The-Radar Free Agents Who Can Make Impact

Fall is here, which typically signifies the beginning of the NHL season. This year, however, autumn brings with it the start of NHL free agency.

Things are obviously quite different this year with the COVID-19 pandemic throwing not only the sports world but the entire world into disarray. Credit to the NHL, however, for finding a safe, effective and relatively fair way to finish the 2019-20 season in a bubble.

Now, the hockey world turns its attention to the 2020-21 season. We still don’t know when exactly the new season will begin, but we do know about the offseason. The 2020 NHL Draft will take place Oct. 6 and 7. Free agency will begin a couple days later on Oct. 9.

Free agency could be even more important than usual this year. It certainly will look and feel different. The NHL salary cap will stay at $81.5 million, and in-person visits are a thing of the past, at least for the foreseeable future.

That financial crunch might be the biggest offseason storyline to watch, and given the uncertain economic future, finding value is more important than ever. Here are a handful of under-the-radar free agents to keep an eye on this fall.

CRAIG SMITH
Position: Forward
Age: 30
2019-20 stats: 18 goals, 13 assists in 69 games with Nashville
The Wisconsin product seemed destined for his third straight 20-goal campaign before the regular season was cut short. He likely would have reached that mark, despite playing nearly two minutes fewer per game than the year before and despite a shooting percentage that dropped to 9.8 percent down from 10.6 percent over the two previous seasons. His possession numbers were up year-over-year despite just 51.3 percent offensive-zone starts, his lowest since 2013. The age might be a bit of a concern, but Smith’s versatility and experience could certainly benefit a contender.

JIMMY VESEY
Position: LW
Age: 27
2019-20 stats: 9 goals, 11 assists in 64 games with Buffalo
Man, the Jimmy Vesey sweepstakes feel like forever ago now, huh? In four years, the former Hobey Baker Award winner went from highly sought-after by legitimate contenders to under-the-radar. His one season in Buffalo was largely unremarkable, the worst of his young career. But he has shown some solid offensive ability in the past; he scored 50 goals over three seasons with the Rangers to begin his NHL career, and for what it’s worth, he was a plus-12 this past season after he was a minus-37 over those first three seasons. His possession numbers back that up, too, as he registered career-bests across the board in 2020, too, although those are all relative — no pun intended. He’s got good size at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds and looks ripe for a bounce-back if he’s in the right environment. He’s not a franchise-changing talent, but he could be a nice addition to a line that’s one piece away.

BEN HUTTON
Position: D
Age: 27
2019-20 stats: 4 goals, 12 assists in 65 games with Los Angeles
It doesn’t get a whole lot more under-the-radar than playing decent, defensive-minded hockey as a second-pairing D-man for a woeful Kings team. He’s a solid dude at 6-foot-2, 206 pounds, and he’s not afraid to mix it up from time to time. Hutton, who also contributes on the penalty kill, had the best season of his career from an analytics standpoint. Hutton ranked 13th among defensemen with at least 1,050 minutes in 5-on-5 expected goals against while logging a career-high 53.1 percent defensive-zone starts.

DEREK GRANT
Position: C
Age: 30
2019-20 stats: 15 goals, 10 assists in 56 games with Anaheim and Philadelphia
Grant picked the right time to have the best season of his career. The center’s 15 goals were a career-high, as he made the most of his 13:55 of ice time per game, also the highest mark of his career. That his production increased with more playing time seemingly is an indication he could take on a greater role, although he’s likely best-suited as a very dependable bottom-six center. He also ranked 49th in faceoff win percentage among all players who took at least 1,500 draws over the last three seasons.

JOAKIM NORDSTROM
Position: C
Age: 28
2019-20 stats: 4 goals, 3 assists in 48 games with Boston
If it’s production you seek, look elsewhere. But if you need a dependable, bottom-six forward who can do a little bit of everything, Nordstrom is a very intriguing — and potentially cheap — option. Nordstrom was a fourth-line staple for the Bruins, which might sound slightly negative, but when you consider Boston had one of the best fourth lines in the NHL, it doesn’t seem as bad. Nordstrom was a big reason for that line’s success, and Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy had zero qualms about using him in his own end, as Nordstrom started a staggering 71.9 percent of his shifts in the defensive zone. He’s the perfect fit for a good team that expects to be protecting leads late in games.