The Status Quo

• Jordan Eberle. Eberle
  has scored between 24 and 28 goals in each of the last three seasons, including 25 last year in only 69 games played. He generally finishes in the mid-60’s in
  terms of points and is a capable first-line NHL right wing.
• Jesse Puljujarvi. The
  Oilers’ most recent first–round selection was somewhat surprisingly available
  with the No. 4 pick. He’s a 6’3”, 200-pound forward with a varied skillset, and
  he’s coming off a 13-goal, 28-point performance over 50 games in Finland’s top
  league. He’s only 18 and has never spent a season on North American ice.
• Nail Yakupov. The
  2012 first overall pick scored eight goals and 23 points last season. Offensive
  development has been slow and his on-ice shot metrics have improved with time
  but haven’t been particularly good at any point. He turns 23 in October.
• Leon Draisaitl. Draisaitl
  excelled on his off-hand in some right wing cameos last season, but it remains
  to be seen how he’ll adjust to playing without Taylor Hall. Perhaps more
  importantly, moving Draisaitl to right wing would bump Mark Letestu into the
  third-line centre position.
• Zack Kassian. Now
  25 years old, Kassian is big and plays a rambunctious physical game, but his
  offence was intermittent and underwhelming last year and the shot metrics weren’t
  particularly good, either. Is he more than a depth piece?
• Iiro Pakarinen. Pakarinen
  turns 25 next month and appears to have established himself as an NHL roster
  player. He has good size and speed, plays aggressively and has a two-way
  conscience. Offence is still a question mark; he had five goals and 13 points
  in 60-odd games last season as a depth piece.
• Mark Letestu. Letestu
  is worth mentioning because he does have some offensive skill (10 goals last
  year) and is a right shot. I expect he’ll be the Oilers’ fourth-line centre
  next year, but using him as a winger on a line with one of Edmonton’s young
  pivots might provide some defensive insurance and a fill-in faceoff man.

Free Agency

• Brad Boyes. Boyes
  was mostly stuck in a depth role in Toronto, but even so he put up 24 points in
  just 60 games on a cheap one-year deal. He posted 38 points for Florida in
  2014-15 and scored 20 goals the year before that.
• Sam Gagner. Since
  leaving Edmonton, Gagner has mostly been bumped to the wing rather than staying
  at centre. He had just 16 points for the Flyers last season over 53 contests,
  but just one year earlier scored 15 goals and 41 points in Arizona.
• Jiri Hudler. A
  left-shooting veteran who can play any forward position, Hudler is undersized
  but undeniably skilled. He had 31 goals and 76 points for Calgary in 2014-15,
  and last year scored 16 times and recorded 46 points.
• Brandon Pirri. Another
  left shot, Pirri is attractive not only as a scorer (14 goals, 29 points in 61
  games last season) but because of his age. He just turned 25 in April and could
  potentially be a long-term fit wherever he lands.
• Kris Versteeg. The
  well-travelled Versteeg won a Cup in Chicago in 2010 and returned to win
  another in 2015. He’s coming off a 15-goal, 38-point campaign split between Los
  Angeles and Carolina and just turned 30.
• Radim Vrbata. Vrbata
  had an awful year with the disappointing Canucks, scoring 13 goals and
  collecting 27 points. He just turned 35, so it’s possible that we’ve seen the
  end of him as a high-end offensive player, but it’s worth remembering that he
  had 31 goals and 63 points as recently as 2014-15.

What Would You Do?

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