Top 10 NHL free agents to watch this offseason

NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 31: New York Islanders center John Tavares (91) skates off the ice during the second period of the National Hockey League Game between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Islanders on March 31, 2018, at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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2. John Carlson

The best defenseman of the free agent class will likely hit the market, though the Capitals still have a very strong chance of signing him. His contract could be pretty straightforward with the season he just had for Washington. He had 15 goals and 68 points in 82 games for the Capitals this season which was a career high for him. He led the league for most points scored by a defenseman this season and it still didn’t get him a Norris Trophy finalist nod.

Many teams will vie for his services considering he’s not only the best defenseman on the market, but he’s a capable top-pairing defenseman and sometimes those don’t come on the free agent market.

The deal will likely look like an eight-year deal with an AAV of $8 million per year at the very least. Despite it being very long and for a lot of money, there will be plenty of teams with enough cap space to afford that contract. During this years Stanley Cup run with Washington, he had five goals and 20 points in their 24 playoff games. He’s a big-game player who can put up some great offensive numbers and can also defend his own zone very well.

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