One of the few remaining RFA players came off the market Friday with news from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman that Calgary Flames winger Connor Zary agreed to a three-year contract extension with an annual average value of $3.775 million. That leaves only six RFAs left who had played NHL games this past season.
Let’s break down a fun little pressure-o-meter on the six remaining RFAs. On a scale from one to five stars, with one star being the least amount of pressure to five stars being the most amount of pressure, how much will each team be feeling the heat if their RFA remains unsigned to start the season?
1. Mason McTavish, C, Anaheim Ducks
Pressure raking: Five stars
The Breakdown: The Ducks are aiming to take a major step this season, and Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek has more than $20.5 million in salary cap space. So it’s more than a little curious that the Ducks and McTavish haven’t come to some kind of financial common ground.
If Anaheim is going to have a hope to make the Stanley Cup playoffs, they’re going to need all hands on deck, and that includes McTavish, who has averaged 19 goals in each of his first three NHL seasons. The Ducks’ year won’t float or sink depending solely on McTavish, but if any team can’t afford to have a dynamic young player on the sidelines, it’s Anaheim. And the longer they fail to sign McTavish, the better the chance they completely burn a bridge with him and end his Ducks career before it could really take flight.
2. Luke Hughes, D, New Jersey Devils
Pressure raking: Four stars
The Breakdown: Much is expected of the Devils this season in no small part because of their deep and skilled defense corps. But not having the 21-year-old Hughes under contract feels like a fight New Jersey doesn’t need to make. And the hole Hughes leaves in his absence could wind up being the difference between the Devils securing home-ice advantage in the playoffs and being a wild-card team.
Hughes has produced 75 assists and 91 points over the past two seasons, and those totals could’ve been higher if he’d played more than the 71 games he played in 2024-25. Having Hughes miss any time because of a financial stalemate will not do the youngster any favors as he tries to grow his game. And that’s why New Jersey is facing considerable pressure to get him signed.
3. Luke Evangelista, RW, Nashville Predators
Pressure raking: Three stars
The Breakdown: The Predators were a huge letdown last season, but…