We can assume it's not Tampa's big 3. Which RFA signs first?

Barzal, Cirelli, Sergachev, Cernak, Reinhart, Pulock, Blackwood, Bertuzzi, DeBrusk, Strome, Mantha, Brown, Gurianov? It's gotta be one of the Red Wing guys? They've got the cap space that others dont.

Anyone I haven't mentioned. So much RFA talent this year

I would say one of the guys with arb rights. Bertuzzi is the first on the list so i would say he starts a domino effect. Reinhart is set for the 27th so he may also try and squeeze a 1 year deal out of buffalo to maximize his earnings especially if they do a line of hall - eichel - reinhart.


Edit: any of the guys without arb might also be waiting to see what guys with arb rights get to set their markets accordingly as well.

Blackwood, not counting guys w/ arbitration rights. I don't thin there are any comparable contracts at his position, so I don't see anything holding this up too much longer. If I were Tom Fitzgerald I'd look at locking him up long term. The Devils have plenty of cap space and he could become much more expensive if he keeps progressing. A bridge deal makes little sense to me right now. I think the negotiations are about term more than dollar amount.

I would have thought Mantha would have been the easy one with Detroits cap space and his role on the team but apparently not. Out of that group I think Blackwood signs first.

Most looking forward to Barzal though, hard to negotiate his huge raise when the ca will be flat.

My gut reaction is Sabres and Reinhart. But really of that list I'm not sure who signs first. I do think it'll be a trade then sign with the new team like Murray, Domi, and Anderson all did. An OS is always possible to get the ball rolling, but an OS is a unicorn. Hockey is still a couple of months away from camp even starting, so both the teams and the players can play the waiting game to see who blinks first.