10 RFAs with a lot to play for in 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs
In the Stanley Cup playoffs, nothing matters more than the pursuit of the Holy Grail. Every player alive would give anything to win 16 games each spring. But that doesn’t mean the Stanley Cup is the only thing at stake. For free agents, performing at their best in high-stakes situations can seriously inflate their wallets and, for restricted free agents, how they perform in the playoffs could be the difference between short-term bridge contracts and long-term pacts.
Which prominent RFAs bear close watching as the postseason progresses? Here are 10 of ’em to know, with contract information courtesy of our friends at PuckPedia.
Zach Benson, LW, Buffalo Sabres
Age: 20
2025-26 Cap hit: $950,000
Arbitration eligible: No
The playmaker has enjoyed a breakout campaign in terms of his per-game production, but his 13 goals and 43 points came in just 65 games across an injury-abbreviated campaign, so Benson could benefit greatly from adding to his sample size with a strong postseason. Analytically, he’s one of the best play-driving forwards on the Sabres; he would be a wise long-term investment. Many of the other current core Sabres who’ve signed long-term deals put pen to paper under GM Kevyn Adams, but Josh Doan’s seven-year extension at a $6.95-million AAV came under Jarmo Kekalainen after Adams’ firing, so we know the new regime has an appetite for locking in its youngsters. The problem: the Sabres still have UFA Alex Tuch to figure out and quietly have only $13.15 million in cap space. Could a Tuch extension force Benson into a bridge-deal situation?
Mavrik Bourque, RW, Dallas Stars
Age: 24
2025-26 cap hit: $950,000
Arbitration eligible: Yes
The 2023-24 AHL scoring champ and MVP is a late bloomer, but he’s been worth the wait in the Lone Star State. Settling in on the top line alongside Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston for much of the regular season, Bourque posted 13 goals and 26 points over his final 34 games. The Stars might be wise to ink him long-term before he puts together a full season of top-six forward production and smashes his career highs of 20 goals and 41 points. The playoff scoring hasn’t come yet, and he’s down on the second line at the moment, but positive regression looms. At 5-on-5 through three games this postseason, he’s second on the team in individual scoring chances and high-danger chances per 60.
Leo Carlsson, C, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 21
Cap hit: $950,000
Arbitration eligible: No
Carlsson is a franchise center, breaking out for close to point-per-game production as a third-year player, which was expected after he finished last season on a heater. The Ducks have every reason to secure him with a lengthy contract, particularly before the new collective bargaining agreement kicks in and reduces the max term on an in-house deal from eight to seven years. He’s likely to land an AAV in the $10-million range. The question now is whether GM Pat Verbeek opts to sign Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier to matching deals.
Egor Chinakhov, RW, Pittsburgh Penguins
Age: 25
Cap hit: $2,100,000
Arbitration eligible: Yes
Chinakhov is a fascinating case. Acquiring him for a second- and third-round pick and Danton Heinen was a coup for Penguins GM Kyle Dubas. Chinakhov, who possesses elite speed and shot power, finally put his first-round draft pedigree together for an 18-18-36 line in 43 games post-trade. From the day he arrived in Pittsburgh, he was fifth in the NHL in goals per 60 at 5-on-5. Chances are, the analytically minded Dubas knows this and will consider signing Chinakhov to a long-term deal. On the other hand: he hasn’t been this good for very long, he hasn’t moved the needle in the playoffs so far, and his Pens are on the verge of a quick playoff exit.
Brandt Clarke, D, Los Angeles Kings
Age: 23
Cap hit: $863,334
Arbitration eligible: No
Clarke is a talented puck mover, play driver and shot blocker, and the Kings finally recognized that this season, upping his average ice time north of 19 minutes a game and giving him more power-play minutes than any other defenseman on the team. With his Kings already trailing the might Colorado Avalanche 2-0 in Round 1, Clarke might soon run out of chances to impress GM Ken Holland, but the underlying numbers suggest the Kings should sign Clarke long-term. Over the past two seasons, among defensemen with at least 1,000 minutes played at 5-on-5, he’s third in the NHL in primary assists per 60 behind only Cale Makar and Rasmus Dahlin. As Clarke’s role grows, he’s going to break out – and that will hit L.A.’s bottom line hard if they get shortsighted and sign him to a bridge. That exact scenario happened to Holland not long ago in Edmonton. See: Bouchard, Evan.
Pavel Dorofeyev, LW, Vegas Golden Knights
Age: 25
2025-26 cap hit: $1,835,000
Arbitration eligible: Yes
Players who have scored at least 35 goals each of the past two seasons: Leon Draisaitl, Cole Caufield, Jason Robertson, Nikita Kucherov, Tage Thompson, Jake Guentzel, Kyle Connor, Alex DeBrincat, Mark Scheifele, Adrian Kempe, Brandon Hagel and…Dorofeyev. He keeps elite company as an established reliable goal scorer and, in theory, should be rewarded handsomely for it. But Dorofeyev, as much as anyone on this list, could benefit from a playoff scoring binge. He has one goal in 11 career postseason games. A franchise as ruthless as Vegas will want to know it trust him in clutch situations before shelling out a massive new contract.
Cutter Gauthier, RW, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 22
2025-26 cap hit: $950,000
Arbitration eligible: No
Gauthier is a breakout star, full stop. He’s a 40-goal scorer at 22, and he’s at the top of the NHL in the Brady Tkachuk/Auston Matthews tier for chance creation, so there’s reason to believe Gauthier will soon be a 50-goal scorer, too. He’s earned a long-term commitment, and it’s just a matter now of whether Carlsson gets a higher AAV given he plays the premium position of center. So far, so good for Gauthier in the postseason, further cementing his value with two goals and three points in two (road) games.
Alexander Nikishin, D, Carolina Hurricanes
Age: 24
2025-26 cap hit: $925,000
Arbitration eligible: Yes
Nikishin is big, strong, talented, adept at driving the play at both ends of the ice and coming into his own as a key long-term member of Carolina’s D-corps. He’s only scratching the surface of his potential, too, and coach Rod Brind’Amour is leaning on Nikishin for almost 23 minutes per game so far this postseason. The Canes like to secure their young players early on team-friendly, long-term deals – Seth Jarvis, Logan Stankoven, even Brandon Bussi – and aren’t afraid of factoring in some projection. Given his noteworthy uptick in usage this spring, Nikishin seems highly likely to be the next Cane locked up.
Jason Robertson, LW, Dallas Stars
Age: 26
2025-26 cap hit: $7,750,000
Arbitration eligible: Yes
Robertson has already done the medium-term deal. It’s time for his set-for-life deal. Only eight NHL players have more points than him over the past five seasons, and each of them makes at least $9.5 million per season – and that AAV was signed by Nikita Kucherov eight years ago. In a rising-cap universe, Robertson has played himself into $12-million territory, a la teammate Mikko Rantanen, with only the lack of state income tax in Texas keeping the number that low. But the Stars and Robertson have had a strange relationship; his previous contract negotiation was somewhat contentious and almost dragged into the season, he seems to surface in trade rumors every year, and he changed agents this winter. The Stars also have just $11.11 million in projected cap space for next season. So Robertson needs to be a vital cog in a deep playoff run lest he give GM Jim Nill pause over how to spread out Dallas’ dollars for 2026-27 and beyond. A league-high three goals and five points through three games is a perfect start.
Trevor Zegras, C, Philadelphia Flyers
Age: 25
2025-26 cap hit: $5,750,000
Arbitration eligible: Yes
Is Zegras a winger or a center? He’s spent time in both spots this season, and how the Flyers perceive him might determine how much money and term he gets. My colleague Antony Di Marco expects Zegras to score a long-term contract just as fellow Flyers newcomer Christian Dvorak did this season. Zegras has made the Flyers more dynamic, and he’s been a point-per-gamer early this postseason centering the first line, but coach Rick Tocchet is also playing Zegras south of 15 minutes per night. Still, he’s had a resurgent season for a resurgent team, showing versatility by playing multiple positions, and Di Marco, who was bang-on about the Dvorak deal, projected an AAV of $7.5 million to $8.5 million for Zegras last month.
Other restricted free agents to watch this postseason: Zachary Bolduc, Kirby Dach, Jack Drury, Jamie Drysdale, Peyton Krebs, Jordan Spence, Pavel Mintyukov
_____
POST SPONSORED BY bet365
_____