Bargains or busts? Reevaluating five top 2016-17 NHL free agent deals a year later
How do the deals from a summer ago, including Steven Stamkos' eight-year extension, look now?
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3 min read
There was good, bad and some ugly from this summer's NHL free agency, a rather quiet one outside of some preceding trades and a long-anticipated union between Kevin Shattenkirk and the New York Rangers.
Shattenkirk, among other high-profile veterans, made headlines more for pursuing a contender instead of taking more money. So there was hardly an excessive amount of lucrative deals, even if guys like Dan Girardi coaxed more of a salary cap commitment than they might have deserved.
What about the big deals from the previous year? With the 2017-18 crop of free agents all but bare of blockbuster moves, perhaps a better vision of many teams' prospects can be glimpsed in the recent past -- a reevaluation of the biggest free agent signings from a summer ago:
1. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning
Eight years, $68 million
What an interesting situation, to say the least. Stamkos at $8.5 million per season looked -- and still looks -- like a bargain for Tampa Bay. The two-time Maurice Richard Trophy winner and repeat All-Star ranks among Lightning greats across the board, and his reasonable cap hit allowed Steve Yzerman to build the team from within. But a blood clot scare and arthroscopic knee surgery made his first season under the new deal as unfortunate as it could've been.
He enters his age-27 campaign as a still-feared shooter but with an even shakier injury history. Still, how can you fault Tampa Bay for locking up its superstar?
2. Kyle Okposo, Buffalo Sabres
Seven years, $42 million
Like Stamkos, Okposo is no slouch on the ice, but off-ice concerns have thrown a wrench into his long-term prospects. His numbers were slightly down after transitioning from the New York Islanders, but they still earned him an All-Star nod as a first-year Sabre, which should tell you Buffalo evaluated the 29-year-old forward correctly. A serious health scare in March, however, had Okposo hospitalized in intensive care with what was later revealed as a severe reaction to concussion medications. The Sabres expect him back for training camp, but like with Stamkos, durability remains a question mark.
3. Milan Lucic, Edmonton Oilers
Seven years, $42 million
Landing the same terms as Okposo, the former Boston Bruins and Los Angeles Kings forward looks like one of the best 2016-17 deals after one year in Edmonton. More than $40 million sure seemed like a lot to commit to a near-30-year-old bruiser, and it's still hefty considering the Oilers just had to dole out $100 million for Connor McDavid, but the ex-Bruin had as pleasant an arrival as anyone could have hoped.
He didn't miss a game. He topped 20 goals for the third time in four years. His 50 points supplemented a scary playoff attack behind McDavid and the first line. He is all the Oilers could have hoped for.
4. Loui Eriksson, Vancouver Canucks
Six years, $36 million
This looked rough from the start. And it really appears that way now. Vancouver isn't giving up on its apparent pursuit of a playoff spot, inking Sam Gagner among others this offseason, but the Canucks seemed out of their league when they handed Eriksson $36 million as if they were going to contend in 2016-17. The forward will be 32 soon and just had his lowest points total since his rookie season. This probably won't get much better, although Gagner's presence should make him a guy to watch.
5. David Backes, Boston Bruins
Five years, $30 million
Thirty-eight points and a signature aggressiveness from the center spot made his Bruins debut a decent one. When his scrappy side showed, he fit right in as the powerful forward Boston sought when it beefed up the middle of its offense. But the contract itself is always going to be hard to justify.
Backes, at age 33 and paid to be a Bruin until he's 36, is nothing close to a bargain, especially considering how often he disappears from action. Maybe he stays gritty and ups his scoring, but living up to $30 million expectations is going to be tough.
