Fansided

25 top NHL free agents teams will be dying to sign in 2018

By David Rouben

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 30: James van Riemsdyk #25 of the Toronto Maple Leafs and John Tavares #91 of the New York Islanders battle for the puck during their game at the Barclays Center on October 30, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 30: James van Riemsdyk #25 of the Toronto Maple Leafs and John Tavares #91 of the New York Islanders battle for the puck during their game at the Barclays Center on October 30, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – MAY 30: Vegas Golden Knights left wing David Perron (57) looks to pass the puck during the third period of Game Two of the Stanley Cup Final between the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights, Wednesday, May 30, 2018, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. (Marc Sanchez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – MAY 30: Vegas Golden Knights left wing David Perron (57) looks to pass the puck during the third period of Game Two of the Stanley Cup Final between the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights, Wednesday, May 30, 2018, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. (Marc Sanchez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

10. David Perron

The Vegas Golden Knights have handed out career highs this season like Oprah hands out Pontiacs. That’s certainly going to help a player like David Perron during free agency, who blew past his previous high of 57 points with 66 — and he did so in 70 games.

Plenty of Golden Knights are in line for a raise after this season, but they may not have enough room to accommodate Perron. Of course, it doesn’t help his cause that he has yet to find the back of the net in the playoffs.

Why he’s in demand: But Perron didn’t suddenly become a stud overnight once he moved to Vegas. He’s always been a solid winger who is hard to take off the puck, has great vision and serves as a nice complementary piece. He was actually more productive than Vegas’ other free-agent winger, James Neal, despite playing in a bottom-six role. Even though he’s 30, he should earn a raise over his current cap hit of $3.75 million.

Teams with the best chance to sign him: Any team that could use an injection on the left wing. The Stars are one of them, as their options beyond Jamie Benn are a barren wasteland. The Coyotes should take a run at him too, if only to pair him with Clayton Keller or Max Domi and get Zac Rinaldo out of their top six.

Those aren’t the teams that he’d desire given the playoff success he’s gotten to enjoy this year. But moving from Stanley Cup finalist to anywhere else was always going to to be a downgrade.

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