The bulk of NHL free agency is over and all the biggest names on the market are off the board. As teams and fans look back on what was a wild free agency, it is time to look at who some of the winners of this offseason were in free agency.
Harman Dayal of The Athletic put out a list of the top 10 best free agent signings of NHL free agency. For his third best signing, Dayal lists former Winnipeg Jets star Nikolaj Ehlers, who signed a six-year deal with the Carolina Hurricanes.
“The 29-year-old left winger is speedy, skilled and creative. He’s a dynamic puck transporter capable of driving dangerous zone entries and creating rush scoring chances at will. Ehlers can flat-out break games wide open with his pace and finesse,” Dayal wrote. “He has consistently produced in the 25-goal, 60-65 point range, but his underutilization in Winnipeg has suppressed his production. He ranked 15th best among all NHL players for five-on-five points produced per hour over the last three seasons, yet he’s inexplicably averaged less than 16 minutes per game in each of those years.”
Ehlers was one of the most sought after free agents this offseason, right behind Mitch Marner. Ehlers narrowed his search down to the Washington Capitals and Carolina before signing a deal worth $8.5 million per year.
Ehlers is almost certain to be playing on the Hurricanes’ top line. With his skillset, he could easily score 30 or more goals and reach more than 70 points.
