As I looked at what to write for this week, I realized the list of Restricted Free Agents this year is really long. I figured it worth while to spend this week going over the omitted. Let's skip the preamble and dive right in:

Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild ($925K, Age 23)

The great thing about writing these articles is the ability to make up and/or break rules as you go. While Alex briefly discussed Kaprizov pre-season and I said last week I wouldn't cover players in that article, his in-season performance makes it well worth revisiting him.

This guy is money in every sense of the word and arrived as advertised. I don't think the Wild should mess around with Kaprizov. Anything short of five-years is going to cost them valuable cap-space down the road.

With 34 points in 38 games, he is having a lights-out rookie season and is on pace for 50 points. When looking at the last two players of similar age that had impressive rookie seasons coming from the KHL, Dominik Kubalik and Artemi Panarin, a shorter deal makes sense.  We have yet to see a player come from the KHL perform well as an RFA and sign a long-term contract. That really needs to change with Kaprizov.

This is really just the tip of the iceberg. At 23 years of age, we're looking at a 70-point floor moving forward. For the next couple years his next deal should provide really good value. A longer contract at $7M to $8M will likely still look like a bargain compared to what he will receive in two or three years if he gets a bridge deal.

Pavel Buchnevich, New York Rangers ($3.25M)

It seems like we have been waiting an eternity for Buchnevich to solidify himself as a top-six forward and legitimate fantasy option. At .92 points-per-game this year, it appears he has finally figured things out.

Assuming he avoids any serious injury over what remains of this shortened season, Buchnevich will crest the 300 games played mark. At 6-3 he qualifies as a 'big-man' and remains about 100 games shy of his breakout threshold.  Most will take a .9-point per game player. One with potential upside remaining should make owners very excited.

Three RFA comparables to Buchnevich are Kevin Fiala, Jakub Vrana, and Anthony Mantha. How these contracts shake down will be interesting. Buchnevich is having the best season of the bunch (Fiala is quickly changing that narrative) but we likely end up with two distinct tiers of contracts. With Fiala and Buchnevich earning a million or more per year over Vrana and Mantha.

 Sam Reinhart, Buffalo Sabres ($5.2M, Age: 25)

If I am Reinhart I want to get paid to stay in Buffalo. They appear ready to tear it down and rebuild the rebuild. I think there's an even money chance Reinhart goes to arbitration on his next deal, all things considered.

Coming off a one year $5.2M deal Reinhart really bet on himself. With 24-points in 36 games that bet doesn't appear to be paying off in any definitive way. The Sabres appear destined for another lottery pick this year. Nothing, it seems, can go right for this team.

One of two things seem destined to happen with Reinhart. Either he accepts a 'team friendly' contract, similar to his current deal that walks him into unrestricted free agency; or he believes Buffalo can turn this thing around and locks in long term closer to $6.5M.  There feels like there is no middle ground on this one. 

I won't be seeking to acquire Reinhart. At best he's a break-even salary-cap type player. There's very little 'boom' upside, regardless what the cap hit is. In multi-cat pools, this is a player I have just avoided, cap or no cap over the years.

Take that as you will, he just doesn't excite me.

Jake Bean, Carolina Hurricanes ($863K, Age: 22)

He finally cracked the Hurricanes' top six. Unfortunately, due to their depth, it is an uphill battle for top-four minutes. Whether Dougie Hamilton re-signs will determine a lot in regard to his immediate future.  

I fully expect his next contract to be a two-year bridge deal right around $2M average. If it is much more than this then Carolina will be adding a third, maybe a fourth year to the deal. All things considered a two-year $2M deal makes a lot of sense for both sides.

The Hurricanes have Brady Skjei, Jaccob Slavin & Brett Pesce under contract for three or more years each. A re-signed Hamilton makes breaking into this top four a hefty challenge. Over the next two years we likely see Bean remain on the third pair and sink his teeth into the second power-play slot. 

He is still only 22, the upside to be a first unit power-play quarterback is still very real. When he gets there, well, we wait on Hamilton's contract with bated breath.

Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders ($2M, Age 25)

You wonder if Lou Lamoriello and Barry Trotz have seen enough in 13 games to lock him up. Islanders fans have waited far too long for Sorokin to become an Islander to see him sign a short term extension.

Lou knows goalies. He hasn't had to trade or sign very many of them in his career. A lot of that has to do with someone by the name of Martin Brodeur in New Jersey for 20 years.

Yet we saw him roll the dice four years ago in a trade with Anaheim when he acquired Freddy Andersen with the Maple Leafs. He then signed the relatively unproven netminder to a five-year, five-million-dollar contract.

Igor Shestyorkin and Carter Hart could slow the path to signing Sorokin. One could be looking at the other two to use as leverage to sign. That said, I can realistically see Sorokin signing for something comparable to Thatcher Demko – five years, five million range.

He will continue to split starts with Semyon Varlamov in 2021-22 and then we likely see the transition as starter come to fruition. If Lou can lock Sorokin up long term close to or below $5M per season I will consider this a really solid contract and win for anyone with a vested interest. I'm a fan of the 'White Whale' – especially in Trotz's system.

I would spend to own the Islanders' tandem next year. There are few sure things when it comes to goaltenders, yet a Trotz coached tandem still seems a low risk bet.

Drake Batherson, Ottawa Senators ($737K, Age 22)

In his first full NHL season Batherson hasn't disappointed. He has put up decent numbers 12-11 for 23 points in 40 games on a young team. This is just the tip of the iceberg for Batherson.

We are looking at a guy who is tinkering with first line upside and destined for at least a second line, top six career. He does it all, he scores, he shoots, he hits, and he can skate like the wind.

You have to wonder, after seeing Connor Brown signed for four years and Thomas Chabot signed for eight if the Senators will mess around with a bridge deal here. Batherson might a player that gets locked up for several years with the expectation of the latter half of the contract becoming a value deal.

Signing Batherson for two-years between $2.5M and $3.5M sounds good, but the price tag on him at the end of that could be significantly more. A bridge deal makes sense, but don't be surprised to see the dollar figure closer to $4.5M with a couple extra years tagged on.

Max Comtois, Anaheim Ducks ($820K, Age: 22)

He's having a pretty similar year to Drake Batherson. Based on his season and the number of RFA deals the Ducks have to sign this summer, Comtois may be first in line to sign a longer-term deal. A deal similar to Batherson's, short or long term, should be in store for Comtois.

Comtois appears further along in his development than Sam Steel, Max Jones, Isac Lundestrom, and the newly acquired Alex Volkov. It is easier to tack on an extra couple years to a deal when you have a strong understanding of the player you are signing. Just to add to the Ducks RFA quagmire, Danton Heinen is another RFA that needs to be signed.

The Ducks will likely spread out their RFA deals, they have a lot of them, so length needs to be staggered. Someone will get signed longer term. Comtois seems the most likely to get the longer extension. 

Of all the Ducks RFA's, Comtois would be the one I am most interested in owning. Trevor Zegras is going to be a high-end center for years to come and Comtois is destined to be on the receiving end of some elite set-ups. 

That's it for this week. Thanks for reading.

(all stats from frozenpools.com & all contract info from capfriendly.com)

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