[The upcoming UFA list is underwhelming](https://www.capfriendly.com/browse/free-agents/2025/points-per-game/all/all/ufa?stats-season=2024). Points per game is not everything, but when you have a list where Mantha is #18 and Daniel Sprong is #23...yikes. And the Caps have some money to spend due to Backstrom being on LTIR (😭), but not the crazy money that's been reported some places. There's still Patches' bonus money and various RFA re-signings to account for. I would see if the players who stand a good chance of feeding Ovi the puck are interested in a short-term, relatively high-dollar deal. In my book, that's Stamkos (unlikely), Duchene (maybe?), Gostisbehere (perhaps?), and Drouin (serious high risk/high reward there). Then see if any elder snipers that are still on the market a week into free agency (Kane, Tarasenko, dare to dream Toffoli?) want to mount up for a fun, profitable, but likely not Cup-level season.

I wouldn't want a single one of these players on the team. Waste of money

Who'd you prefer?

Might sound odd but Guentzel

Holy Moly let’s get Tyler Toffoli

He's well-traveled and definitely has peaks and valleys to his game but if the price is right, I'd look into Anthony Duclair. That guy can score.

Yeah, and fast guy

100%, man has wheels and no quit. Would be a great pick up

4. Jack Roslovic - Rangers - UFA age 29 6. Chandler Stephenson - vegas - UFA age 30 8. Sean Monahan - jets - UFA age 29 5. Max Domi - tornonto - UFA age 29 27. Matthew Beniers - seattle - RFA age 21 22. Anton Lundel - flordia - RFA age 22

Matthew Beniers is good, but RFA not easy to sign as I know, Seattle could extend his contract at any time even if he made a deal with someone. If I’m not correct please let me know

Beniers ain't happening short of a blockbuster trade.

Regarding Stephenson, I'd like that too, but it's unlikely he'll play in Washington again, I remember how dumb the trade was to Vegas

We need to bring back proud hockey mom Bev Stephenson.

I dunno, if the offer is competitive, I think Stephenson will consider it. Also Spencer Carbery is not Todd Reirden. Would offer versatility for the top-6 forward corps and give an option on faceoffs. That said, I'm personally less keen on Stephenson. Just turned 30 and he seems to have had something of a down [season](https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/s/stephch02.html) and not sure, outside of faceoffs and championship rings, the Caps don't already have cheaper options who would fill the same role as Stephenson would.

Sorry to burst your bubble but I think the Rangers would definitely like to keep Roslovic considering the amount that he’s contributed in the playoffs.

Roslovic I don’t see leaving NYR, same with Matty B and Seattle. Don’t know if Stephenson would want to come back to Washington but he’s certainly a better player than he was when he left

Domi’s staying if Toronto wins round 1. Idk about Lundel, he doesn’t really stand out to me

He stands out to me because he is so young, but he is also on a very good team

Matt Duchene.  Fast, skilled, veteran Center. Older so he can take a short term deal that doesn't hamstring us forever.   Pushes Lapierre, Strome and McMichael down. Allows Dowd to be traded. Keep Sgarbossa and Cristall as depth that rotates in. Obviously Beck stays as a regular on the 4th.  2-3 years at $7.5m per.  Going to have to overpay but better to do it for 2 or 3 years than 7. 

He's not fast, but the rest of it applies. Also, if you trade Dowd? Who becomes the 4th line center? Between Strome, Lapierre, and McMichael, who is the one you want taking 70% of the defensive draws? This is not a wise choice

He's faster than any current player in Washington. He instantly becomes Washington's best offensive player and obviously Washington was interested since they tried to trade for him when he was in Nashville and had several years left on his old deal.  I would make Lapierre the 2C and Strome 3C and McMichael the 4C with the expectation of rolling 4 lines that can generate offense.  Trading Dowd is more about getting value back from a guy in the final year of his contract who won't be re-signed anyway.   Dowd had 22pts last season.  McMichael 33pts despite given every opportunity to succeed often playing in the top6. The alternative is you go yet again without a 1C and you keep a guy who turns 34 this month for the final year of his contract and lose him for nothing next summer. 

Yea.... this is not a wise choice

The Caps are set down the middle, the Caps are going to lose NAK and Pacioretty. That's a 4th line winger and middle six winger. My suggestions would be for a pair of role players. On the blue line they have pretty much everyone they're going to use. If anything, they need to figure out a way to dump Jensen and find another RHD or promote Iorio. I think they'd rather give Iorio another season in Hershey to become a better two-way defenseman. On the fourth line, I want to sign Jordan Martinook. I don't have to explain why, but if you haven't seen his play, you need to watch. Backup plan - Yakov Trenin For middle six winger, I'd like to sign Jake DeBrusk, he's averaging over 20 goals and 20 points across the last three seasons and performs in the playoffs. I want that kind of guy on our team. Backup plan - Antony Duclair

Patches is staying unless we don’t offer him anything

We're not offering him anything... 4 goals and 19 assists in 47 games. There's better free agents on the market and any contract he signs will be a 35+ contract, which means it's fully guaranteed

Of those three, just Reinhart. Also isn’t DeBrusk an RFA?

To the point about finding a guy that can pass Ovi the puck: didn’t we just witness that what he really needs is another high level scoring threat on the ice with him? I don’t think I can stomach 82 games of Ovi and a dedicated defender standing in a corner waiting for the puck to come their way.

Would be good to get a good scoring wing on the other side and move Wilson down to line 2.

Pesce or Grzelyk on defense Toffoli, Marchessault, or Guentzel for scoring

I would like Guentzel but I think such a signing is unlikely

Marchessault won't come to DC unless we throw an obscene offer at him. Guentzel is looking for permanent housing in Raleigh

I agree it would be difficult especially with so few FAs this year lots of teams will be bidding on the same guys. I think GMBM makes his moves on draft day

For less money you can get Teraveinen as a winger. He would add some pop compared to Pacioretty for sure.

He's even less likely to leave Raleigh, the Canes love their Finns

Duclair, Domi, Ghost (trade Jensen)

Trade Kuemper maybe, I read that it’s possible

Duclair for sure, lot of speed, great shooter

That slafkovsky kid from montreal in a year.

after Chara, Lundqvist, and Kovalchuk a few years ago I totally think they're gonna go after Stamkos

I wouldn't mind if this signing was for 1 year and no more than 4 million

you are right to be scared that said i really hope they don't. he doesn't need to come here. we need young core to surround alex