Teams locking up free agents as soon as possible

by Spector

Updated: June 25, 2008, 5:56 PM EST 30 comments

That anticipation led many teams to re-sign their key restricted free agent over the course of the past season or either risk losing them to unmatchable offers or overpaying to retain them.

Since the start of the 2007-08 NHL season, potential restricted free agents such as Washington's Alexander Ovechkin, Anaheim's Ryan Getzlaf, Ottawa's Jason Spezza, Calgary's Dion Phaneuf and Philadelphia's Mike Richards were all re-signed by their respective teams to lucrative long-term contracts.

The Pittsburgh Penguins got the jump on everyone, re-signing team captain Sidney Crosby last July, nearly a full year before his eligibility for RFA status.

With the Nashville Predators recently re-signed promising young defensemen Ryan Suter and Shea Weber and the Penguins took goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to arbitration, the pool of available RFA talent has considerably decreased.

Several notable names still remain unsigned as July 1 approaches and could become targets for offer sheets. That list includes Anaheim's Corey Perry, Florida's Jay Bouwmeester, Columbus' Pascal Leclaire and R.J. Umberger, Philadelphia's Jeff Carter, Montreal's Andrei Kostitsyn, Minnesota's Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Ottawa's Andrej Meszaros and Antoine Vermette, Detroit's Valtteri Filppula, Edmonton's Joni Pitkanen and Washington's Mike Green.

Signing them away from their current teams, however, won't be easy.

Anaheim GM Brian Burke admitted being unable to re-sign Perry for cap reasons prior to July 1, most notably if defenseman Scott Niedermayer decides to return next season. Burke, however, remains confident he can get Perry under contract soon after July 1 — even if he has to go over the cap to do it.

Teams are allowed during the offseason to go over the cap by up to ten percent if they can get under the cap the week before the start of next season.

Considering the fuss Burke kicked up last summer when the Oilers signed away forward Dustin Penner, it's a safe bet he won't allow anyone to snatch away Perry this year.

Reports out of Philadelphia over the past week suggest the Flyers are very close to re-signing Carter, which explains in part why they dealt Umberger to the Blue Jackets during the entry draft, so it's unlikely he'll still be available by July 1.

The Red Wings are expected to re-sign Filppula as are the Canadiens with Kostitsyn and the Blue Jackets with Leclaire and Umberger while Capitals GM George McPhee vows to match any offer for Green.

Bouwmeester would be a tempting target for teams lacking a top-two defenseman. With eligibility for unrestricted free agency only a year away, it's rumored he could re-sign a one-year contract with the Panthers and then test next summer's market where he'll certainly be among the most hotly-pursued free agents.

He could accept an offer sheet this summer but the Panthers could match and push ahead his UFA eligibility by several seasons.

Bouchard was reportedly offered up by the Wild in a failed effort to acquire Olli Jokinen from the Florida Panthers, casting doubt on his future with the team. He is also eligible for UFA status next summer and could seek only a one-year extension from the Wild if they fail to offer up the long-term deal he wants.

It's uncertain whether Meszaros and Vermette will be re-signed by the Senators. Rumors in the Ottawa media suggest one or both could be shopped if GM Bryan Murray is unable or unwilling to meet their asking prices.

Pitkanen has been a fixture in the rumor mill for the past year but while speculation persists the Oilers could trade him, it's believed the club still hopes to re-sign him, though not at any price. If a rival team swoops in with a hefty offer, the Oilers could let Pitkanen go.