Three Top-Level NHL UFAs Entered The Off-Season On A Cold Note
How an NHL player performs in a contract year is very important.
A career year means the player is in line for a massive raise. Just look at Toronto Maple Leafs acquisition Darren Raddysh, who had never earned a salary of at least $1 million before recording 70 points with the Tampa Bay Lightning and signing an eight-year, $68 million deal.
A poor campaign, or a subpar finish to the season, raises doubt about a player's value.
These three pending UFAs are some of the top NHL free agents right now, but their cold finish to the season has led to some reasonable questions about how good they will be next year and beyond.
That said, don't expect that to affect their cap hit too much. Here's why.
Four NHL Offer Sheet Candidates In 2026
Which pending RFAs could be realistic options to sign an offer sheet with another NHL team?
Alex Tuch, RW, Buffalo Sabres
Tuch definitely didn't have an impressive playoff performance for the Sabres.
He generated only four goals and seven points in 13 post-season games, and he had no points in the seven-game series against the Montreal Canadiens.
His impact lessened with each playoff game, raising questions about what he's worth in free agency.
That said, Tuch still has scored at least 33 goals in three of the past four seasons.
You can search high and low, but you're not going to find many players with soft hands like Tuch's. So while he may not get to $10 million per season on the open free-agent market after that playoff performance, Tuch will still almost certainly double his 2025-26 salary of $4.75 million.
Maybe Tuch gets that from a playoff-desperate team like the Columbus Blue Jackets. Or maybe he takes a big-time offer from the Seattle Kraken or New York Rangers. Or perhaps the Sabres step up with a major bid.
Different teams will have different needs, but the bottom line is that Tuch's asking price is high. If a team decides he's not worth a wack ton of money after his playoff performance, some other squad will get the power forward.
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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 3:14 PM.