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NHL Free Agents 2024: Latest Rumors, Predictions for Steven Stamkos, Guentzel, More

Erik Beaston

With the Stanley Cup decided, the NHL's attention will turn to free agency, where contending teams will seek to get better by adding pieces that can bolster their roster and contribute when they most need it.

One of the most recognizable names on the market will be Tampa Bay Lightning legend Steven Stamkos, who will not return to the only team he has ever known.

Where might he end up and why will it not be in Tampa?

Find out with this look at top free agents, including a quality defender out of Los Angeles and one of the greatest playoff performers of this generation.

Steven Stamkos Hitting Free Agency

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Steven Stamkos is one of the greatest players in Tampa Bay Lightning history but the 34-year-old left wing will be looking for a new team this offseason.

The Fourth Period's Dave Pagnotta reported on the NHL Radio Network that the Lightning low-balled Stamkos with a short-term, $4 million contract offer (h/t NHL Trade Rumors).

Stamkos' agent, Don Meehan substantiated Pagnotta's report, telling NHL insider Pierre LeBrun that his client will be a free agent effective Monday.

Stamkos played in 79 games, scored 40 goals, and tallied 41 assists for 81 total points. He managed a 15.3 shot percentage and won 56 percent of his face-offs. He may not be the game-changer that he once was but he is still an excellent player, with Stanley Cup experience who can walk into any locker room in the NHL and instantly improve it.

Many teams will be interested in adding the future Hall of Famer to their roster, including the Nashville Predators, LeBrun reported for The Athletic.

Stamkos would likely be a second-line center for the Preds, the driving force of any power play opportunities the team would have, an area the team struggled in a season ago as they took advantage of just 21.6 percent of their opportunities.

He could instantly improve a team that ranked 10th in the league in goals per game with 3.24, too.

He also has former Lightning teammates Ryan McDonagh and Luke Schenn in Nashville, so there is a level of familiarity with their style and playing tendencies that could help the Eastern Conference team.

Other teams will likely be in on the legendary player, including Detroit, Anaheim, Chicago, and even the new Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers. All would see upgrades to their rosters by signing Stamkos.

Still, Nashville feels like a perfect fit based on the team's needs and the familiar faces already on that roster.

Prediction: Stamkos signs a three-year deal with the Predators

Matt Roy Not Returning to Los Angeles

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LeBrun also reported that defenseman Matt Roy will hit the market as he and the Los Angeles Kings have been unable to bridge the financial gap between them.

Roy is a quality, top-four defender and an excellent penalty-killer. He played in 81 games, scored eight goals, and assisted 20 times, finishing with a +21 rating.

He is not flashy, but he is extremely efficient and someone defensively challenged squads will look to acquire this offseason.

The teams who finished at the bottom of the league, like the Sharks, Ducks, Blues, and Blackhawks could definitely use his skill set to bolster their defense. An intriguing team to watch is the New York Rangers, who need help on that side of the puck and are potentially trading away Jacob Trouba.

Considering Roy has the opportunity to select his next squad, one would assume he would want to go somewhere he could win. While San Jose, Anaheim, St. Louis, and Chicago may have the means to make a deal happen, should an opportunity in New York open up, joining a winning squad feels like the most likely outcome for a veteran player with plenty left to offer at a key position on the ice.

Prediction: Roy signs with New York or another Stanley Cup-contending team

Multiple Teams in on Jake Guentzel

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Jake Guentzel was one of the most coveted trade targets at last season's deadline and according to The Athletic's Josh Yohe, he will have plenty of suitors this offseason.

Should Guenztel and the Carolina Hurricanes not get a deal done, Yohe reported the Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, and Dallas Stars could all be in on acquiring him.

Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky told LeBrun in a different piece for The Athletic, "We are not that far apart. I'm still optimistic it's going to get done. But it's not done yet and we're running out of time."

Guentzel accumulated 77 points in Pittsburgh and Carolina last season, with 30 coming on goals and 47 on assists. He is a point-per-game player with a rich history of rising to the occasion and playing at his best and most prolific in the playoffs.

The Canucks signed Elias Lindholm last season but that was before Guentzel became available. Yohe reported that the team would love to add him to the fray, even with Lindholm.

The Rangers also sought to add Guentzel before the Penguins, instead, trading him to Carolina rather than a potential Stanley Cup-contending rival.

It is no surprise that any of the teams mentioned in Yohe's report would be interested in adding Guentzel. He is at his best when it counts most and can be counted on to produce. He would make any team better, even a Blackhawks team that appears to be a year or two from making a real run.

If he does not return to Carolina, and given his experience in the postseason and for a 2017 Stanley Cup-winning Penguins squad, expect Guentzel to look to continue his career with a team that has a realistic shot at contending.

The Canucks, given how small their Cup window is right now, with $12 million in projected cap space, may be the team to outbid.

Prediction: Guentzel signs with Vancouver

   

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